I Do Believe in Leafmen
by Much-More-Than-A-Princess
Summary: MK is staying the summer in Moonhaven as a personal companion to the queen. She's thrilled to be with all the people there, particularly a certain Leafman of hers. That is until the Fairies of Willhollow come searching for the Lady of Destiny to marry the Prince of the great fairy kingdom. But it couldn't be MK...Could it? Rated T for violence/language. MK x Nod
1. Prologue Part 1

**Author's Note: OH MY GOODNESS I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY POSTING THIS! I got the idea for this story basically right after seeing Epic in theaters, and now after like four freaking months, I'M FINALLY POSTING IT OMG! **

**Just so you know, I'll be posting chapters weekly, every saturday. Sometimes I may post more than one chapter a saturday, depending on length and whatnot.**

**This is a super long fan fiction just so you know, but luckily I've already finished the whole thing, so there won't be any waiting for weeks on end for the next chapter.**

**One last thing. I don't want to be one of those people that desperately grovels for reviews, but I'll be honest, just one review can make my entire day. So if you liked my story or have a comment tell me! And hey, fi there's something you didn't like or thing I could improve on, tell me about it to!**

**All right I believe we're all set. Enjoy the story! ^_^**

**~ Much-More-Than-A-Prince**

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**Chapter 1:**

**Prologue Pt. 1**

_Focus_

_Focus_

_**Focus**_

The man gripped the reins of his bird tighter as they approached the twisted thicket of branches and leaves that they were soaring towards. A small smirk appeared upon his lips as he counted down, waiting, waiting, waiting...

_"N_ow!" He yelled, and suddenly jerked the reins, causing the bird to take a sheer barrel roll and begin maneuvering through the tangle, weaving in and out of the branches. The adrenaline rushing through him just made it that much sweeter. That rush of danger and excitement stirred together in a whirlwind of energy was just what he needed on a morning like this one.

Some people in the kingdom found riding birds dangerous and pointless, considering everyone in Willhollow had a perfectly good pair wings on their backs anyways. What need would fairies have for any other means of transportation? Of course that was also like comparing walking to flying. It was just easier.

As he finally emerged from the jungle maze, he appeared in an open meadow, with a humongous willow tree in the center, lit by the early-rising sun: his home. He smiled. Willhollow never looked more beautiful than at this time of year, smack-dab in the middle of October when the forest was every color of autumn. Fall always was his favorite season.

"Tarren!" He heard a small voice cry out, and saw a little girl about twelve soaring by him on a small cart tugged by a little, grey robin. She had the same blonde hair and silver eyes that he had, but on her face she wore their mother's features, and same bright smile. This smile always seemed to make the world light up, but it also made him sad.

"Jenni! How are you this fine morning?" He said with a smile. She grinned wider, and flew closer to his bird. She then handed him a bouquet of flowers from her basket, tied together by one of her blue ribbons and laughed. "Happy Birthday brother!"

Tarren grinned as he took the flowers from his little sister. They were the white and yellow ones that she grew outside her window back at the castle. She always took genuine care of nature, and everything else for that matter. The people of Willhollow always took note of her kindness, as he was now.

"Oh Jenni, you shouldn't have! Theses are lovely, thank you"

She gave her older brother a wide smile, before suddenly taking off for the castle. "I'll race you!"

"Oh you are on kid!" The prince cried back as his bird took off after the girl. She got to the landing dock of the tallest tree in the center of the meadow only two seconds before he did (Tarren having decided to let the little girl enjoy a victory), but she saw it as landslide win.

"I win, I win! You're getting slower Tarren!" The twelve year old said, and then let out a squeal as her brother lifted her up and spun her around.

"Aww man, and on my birthday too? Must just be my luck." Tarren said sarcastically. Jenni giggled.

Suddenly, the two heard the sound of the gate doors opening, and a young man with jet-black hair and dark blue eyes walked through, sword strapped to his hip. Tarren smiled.

"Well, look who's up early. I'm surprised you woke up before ten on a day like today." The man said. The prince smirked and set his sister down. "It's good to see you Jason."

Jason bowed "Happy birthday your highness, and good morning to you Princess Jennora." Jenni smiled and waved.

"Jenni, why don't you go get some breakfast while I talk to Jason?" Tarren suggested, chuckling under his breath at the girl's usual bubbliness.

She jumped up. "Alright. See you later Tarren!" then she took off through the doors and into the palace. Jason turned back to the prince. "So you lost to the kid? It's looks like you're losing your touch just a bit."

Tarren rolled my eyes. "Oh come on you know I was just humoring her."

Jason smirked and replied sarcastically. "Of course your highness. So how does it feel being twenty?"

"Not much different from turning nineteen, or eighteen, or any other birthday really, and will you stop with the formalities? We're best friends Jason, you can drop the highnesses."

"Friends or not, you'll still be king soon, so the formalities are necessary." Jason replied, almost humorously.

Tarren sighed, thinking about being king. It was an idea that had been forced upon him at a very young age. It was spoken of often since the death of his father, after Jennora was born. Tarren hadn't had the most close-knit relationship with his father, so it hadn't been as great a blow as it should've been.

Then his mother, the closest person to him in the world, grew fatefully ill and passed away as well. The people realized that their kingdom would soon be placed on the young shoulders of the fourteen year old Prince Tarren.

The loss of his mother had taken quite a toll on the boy. He had actually left that morning early to visit her grave about quarter mile from the meadow of Willhollow. Even after six years he still felt the sting of that first day he found out she was gone...

"Prince Tarren." He suddenly heard the loud voice from the gates, and turned to see one of the head servants approaching him.

"Yes Isabelle?" The prince replied.

"We must see you in the throne room immediately. There are several important matters concerning the party tonight that must be attended to." Tarren internally cringed, being reminded of his birthday celebration that evening. "Of course, I'll be right there."

Isabelle bowed her head a retreated to the palace. The prince turned back to his friend, who had been adjusting his sword strap.

"Jason, can you take care of the birds? I need to attend to this."

"Of course sire. Are you still up for racing later today?"

"Not if you _ever _call me sire again." He said with a hint of joking irritation in his voice. Jason laughed. "I'll see you later Tarren." Then began taking the birds into their stables. Tarren shook his head at his friend, and then quickly headed inside.

The palace was especially polished today. The halls bustled with business as fairies prepared for the ball celebrating the Prince's twentieth birthday that evening. Tarren was dreading it. He detested parties of any kind, but especially one that was all about him. He was preparing himself for a long night.

He found the worst of it all in the throne room. There were ribbons of silk and flower petals decorating every wall and pillar. Tables and chairs were set up everywhere with spider-web lace tablecloths and the entire room glittered. Tarren groaned. Yes, this was going to be a _very _long night...

The servants who were planning the party caught sight of the prince, and brightened up. "Good day your highness! We have several things concerning tonight that we need to consult you about, first of which being..."

(Later)

"Ugh," Tarren groaned as he donned his blue coat, embroidered in gold thread. It was completely fit for a king, but he didn't feel much like one. Not like the powerful king his father ha been. Nor could he exhibit the kindness and compassion his mother had possessed. How could they have expected him to fill their shoes at such an early age? How had that ever been fair?

He sighed, feeling insensitive. It wasn't as though they had _planned_ to leave him the way they did. It had simply been the cruel hand of fate.

"Knock, Knock," he suddenly heard someone say from the other side of his room, where they were now entering through the large double doors. It was Captain Oren, leader of Willhollow's army. He had been a close companion to Tarren when his parents were gone, and Tarren considered him a father figure, as well as a close friend.

"Oh, hello Captain. What brings you here?" The Prince asked, as he looked back into the mirror, hoping tonight went by a quickly as possible.

"Well, your highness...there is an important matter at hand that has not been brought up these past years, at the request of your mother but-"

Tarren froze. His mother? What matter had not been addressed concerning her?

"What? What is it?"

"Well erm you see..."

"Oren, tell me! What's wrong?" Tarren begged, desperate to know what had occurred.

"Well... your mother, before she died... She wrote you a letter, and requested that we not give it to you until your twentieth birthday. She ordered that no one see the contents of the letter besides you. No one knows what's inside, but she made it extremely clear that it was of _great _importance."

Tarren blinked, trying to absorb this. A secret letter from his mother? Kept from him all this time? Why?

"I want to see it immediately. Do you do have it with you?"

The captain handed him the envelope. It was a plain, cream-colored letter, worn by time. It looked pretty full. Tarren took it from him immediately and removed the papers inside.

The first thing he found was a drawing of a woman. The picture was faded and torn, and drawing itself was smudged and old, but he could still make out the person clearly.

She had lovely ruby-red hair, cascading down in a waterfall of waves and little woven braids, and had striking green eyes. She wore a beautiful dress that had a cream, long-sleeved, off-shoulder bodice, stitched up the front with a crisscrossed ribbon, and a long, flowing skirt of pink and white petals. She was smiling and in her hand she held a single red lily.

She was absolutely _beautiful..._

Who was she?

"Oren, do you know who this is?" Tarren said, handing him the drawing. He squinted at the picture, and shook his head. "I haven't the slightest idea your highness. She's obviously not one of us for she has no wings."

Tarren looked at the picture again, and then pulled out what was left in the envelope. It was a letter, written in his mother's hand. The boy gasped, and began reading it.

_Tarren my Son,_

_My dear eldest child, I regret to inform you that our time together shall soon reach its bitter end. By the time you read this, I will by gone, but I feel it appropriate to state these things anyways. I have discovered that the illness I possess cannot be cured. I am dying Tarren. _

_Now you are too young to understand exactly what this will mean besides the loss of your dear mother, but it shall have much greater consequences. Without the queen, there will be no one to continue the flow of life in our kingdom. If a queen is not found by the time you turn twenty one, Willhollow will die. This cannot be just any queen however. You must find the Lady of Destiny, and you must find her before it is too late for our dear Willhollow._

The Lady of Destiny. Mother had told Tarren several stories about her as a child. She was supposedly a woman that would come to save Willhollow one day when it needed her most. It was just a bedtime story though! Why was she telling him this now? He read on

_I have mentioned the Lady of Destiny numerous times, but I never told you everything. This was because you were simply too young to comprehend it. By the time you receive this letter, on your twentieth birthday, you were be old enough and wise enough to understand._

_The Lady of Destiny is a prophecy told many centuries ago, by the high priest when Willhollow had reached it's peak of power. Legends before had spoken of the reincarnation of our first Queen Jennora, who would return one day._

_Later, the high priest of Willhollow had a vision of the Lady of Destiny coming to join with the Prince of the land, and rescue the kingdom from utter destruction. During this vision, he created the only known image of the Lady of Destiny. That is the picture you have now, in the letter. No one knows it is still in existence besides me, and now you._

His eye widening, Tarren looked back at the picture of the beautiful girl. _This _was the Lady of Destiny? He had always imagined her older. She looked at least a year younger than him.

_Now that I am dying, and leaving the kingdom in your hands, I know that this girl will need to be found when you become King, or our beloved home will die. However, when reading through my old books, I found a detailed record of the prophecy, and realized that __**now **__was the time for the legend to play out. _

_You must find the Lady of Destiny, and marry her within the year. Then the great ceremony of healing will take place, and she shall use her powers to clense the land before the hidden plague takes hold. You must do this to save WillHollow._

It wasn't until he let out a ragged gasp that Tarren realized he had been holding his breath. Oren was starring at the prince with worried eyes, but Tarren couldn't pay attention to him. How had this happened? Willhollow _dying_?! Him having to save it by marrying a complete stranger!?

He glanced back at the picture and smirked. Well, a very _pretty _complete stranger... But why would his mother wait until now to tell him?! They only had a year left! Tarren read on, and his question was answered immediately.

_I know you must think it strange that I would wait until now to tell you, with so little time left, but none of us had any choice. After reading through the record of the prophecy, it said that the Lady could only be found within the year of the deadline. _

_I know it seems unfair and ridiculous but it is still lore, and I cannot change it, nor did I find it fair to plague you with it's threat before your time. Now, you must go and save our kingdom. It is my dying wish son, my plea to you. _

_I know how much I am asking of you. I am asking you to forget the idea of love, and throw your lot in with a woman you do not know, but I do believe it was prophesied for a reason. It is your destiny to marry this woman, and save our home. Please Tarren... for you parents, for your sister, for our beloved WillHollow. _

_Bring her back, and save us all_

_I love you,_

_Queen Rheina_


	2. Prologue Part 2

_**Chapter 2:**_

_**Prologue Pt. 2**_

**Author's Note: Okay guys so i know i said I'd be posting every saturday, but after having a long talk with my friend, I realized an entire week is _way _too long! So from now on, I'll be updating IDBIl daily. ^_^ i figure this will make it easier for you guys to handle too when i start adding cliffhanger and plot twists and other crazy stuff!**

**Alright now that I'm done wasting your time, enjoy the story!**

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Prince Tarren starred at the letter and watched a teardrop spatter on the paper, smudging his mother's name just a little. This letter was the last true thing his mother ever wanted him to have... It just tore something in his heart.

This was so much for him to take in though! What was Oren thinking, giving him such a burden to carry right before a _party?!_ Tarren had to remind myself however, that the captain hadn't been aware of what this letter was to begin with.

"Your...Your highness? Are you all right? You look... terrified." Oren asked, sound extremely worried.

The boy simply handed him the letter, and starred at the floor as the captain read through it. Oren gasped out loud and began pacing as he read, much more shaken physically than Tarren was. The prince wondered if perhaps he himself was going into a state of shock. He couldn't speak, or move, or do anything.

The entire fate of Willhollow, and his people, rested with him and a woman he had no _idea _how to find. They only had one year to search, and he didn't even know where to begin! How on earth was he going to do this?!

"Wait sire! Look at this!" Oren said before showing the prince a last piece of paper that had hidden itself in the bottom of the envelope. Glancing at the paper, Tarren realized it was a map of all the provinces of the forest, and then some. It stretched all the way from the seas, to the borders of the forest in the Eastland, by those fools the Leafmen of Moonhaven...

His eyes shot open. No! It couldn't be!

He looked back at the picture of the lady, and thought back on Oren's previous comment.

"_I haven't the slightest idea your highness. She's obviously not one of us for she has no wings..."_

Could this woman be among the Leafmen?

No. That was ridiculous! There were plenty of wingless kind around the land who weren't in contact with those idiots. She could be anywhere. Besides, Moonhaven was miles from here.

Ever since the rivalry with them, The Fairies of Willhollow had decided to stay as far from the Leafmen as they possibly could. It would take them forever to get there, and then by the chance that she _wasn't_ in Moonhaven, there would be no more time to search, and Willhollow would die...

And yet...that's where The prince's gut was telling me she would be, despite his brain wishing it weren't so.

"The Lady of Destiny is amongst the Leafmen of Moonhaven." Tarren whispered gravely. Oren heard it nonetheless and nearly started choking.

"Moonhaven?! You're telling me we have to go all the way to _Moonhaven?! _Where those buffoons of Leafmen are holed up in their little gardens...? Your Majesty you can't be _serious!_ It's just preposterous..."

The prince sighed. "I know it is, but I just have this feeling. Like...Like its destiny. We have to go Oren, and we have to go as soon as possible."

Oren starred hard at the boy before him, trying to find any hint of hesitation that would assure the captain that this was a mistake. However, despite the weariness of the load upon prince's shoulders, Oren found no hint of doubt, and sighed.

"Alright...We'll make preparations to leave tomorrow at dawn and-"

"No, I want to leave tonight." Tarren said surely. Despite the heaviness of the news he'd just received, he couldn't help but feel grateful at any excuse to desert his "celebration".

"But your highness, the party... You can't just not show up? Think of the people! What will they do when they find out you've just disappeared? No, we need to think through this..."

The prince changed out of his fancy blue coat and into one of his worn, black , leather one. "Then I will appear, and inform the people of Willhollow of my departure. I'll make sure they know that they aren't in any danger, and say goodbye. Meanwhile you start to prepare. I want to leave here as soon as is possible."

Oren, who knew there would be no way to sway the boy, simply bowed his head and left to go gather their supplies. Meanwhile, Tarren changed from his royal blue coat into an ordinary black

The throne room had been completely transformed into a beautiful ballroom, and was aglow with music and dancing, and mindless chatter. It was horrifying. But Tarren took a deep breath, and called for the attention of all his subjects.

The people all turned to the prince immediately, having wondered where he was. He was nearly a half hour late, and some had begun to gossip about where he might be.

"My people!" Tarren began. " I know some of you might be a bit surprised by my absence, but I'm afraid I won't be joining you tonight."

Low whispers broke out amongst the crowd, who seemed confused and worried

"A great event has just been brought to my attention. I do not wish to frighten you, but I feel it is my duty to inform you, that a very dark prophecy shall soon come to pass. Without a queen to care for the flow of life in Willhollow, our beloved kingdom will die away by my twenty-first birthday."

Panicked cries broke out in the ballroom as people began to fear the worst.

"But I have a solution, thanks to my dear mother!" Tarren continued, and the people began to listen. "Before she passed away, she left me a letter concerning this matter. She said our hope lay in the hands of the Lady of Destiny, from the priest's prophecy many centuries ago!"

The crowd seemed as doubtful as he had been when he first heard of it. After all, the Lady of Destiny _was_ just a children's story, but Tarren had to convince them. "She said if I can find the Lady and bring her back as my queen, she will restore balance to Willhollow, and we will be saved!"

The crowd seemed optimistic, starting to have hope in the story. Here came the hard part though.

"Now, through the help of a map found in the letter, I have come to believe that the Lady of Destiny is residing with the Leafmen of Moonhaven."

Outrage. The people were furious of such an idea. Their grudge with the Leafmen had not healed with time. Still, this had to be said.

"Settle down! I know it hard to accept, but remember she is our only hope of saving Willhollow. I plan to leave tonight, as soon as possible, to head on my quest. I swear on the leadership of my dear parents, that I will bring the Lady back to us, and save our home!"

The crowd's cheers were undeniable. Instead of being fearful, they had full hope in their dear prince and his quest. Though some doubted that any savior would be found in _Moonhaven_ of all places, they had no choice but to either fear or hope, and they chose to hope.

The prince returned to his room and packed what he thought would be useful, trying to travel as light as possible. He did stick the letter in the pocket of his backpack, and strapped his father's sword to his side. Then he headed out to the landing dock, where everyone was ready to go. Jason was there, ready as always. Oren had some of his soldiers there too. He himself couldn't go because he had to care for the kingdom, though he had everyone ready for the prince.

"Alright men, our mission is to search for any signs of this woman." Tarren then showed them the picture, earning a couple hoots and whistles from the men. Jason simply made a stealthy smirk.

"We must bring her back within the year. We cannot afford to fail. I trust you are all prepared to find her at any costs."

The men bowed in agreement.

"Good," Tarren replied. "Then let's set out."

"Be careful Tarren. Those Leafmen might be a bit of trouble." Oren joked, wishing he could go with the boy.

The princes rolled his eyes. "Oh please. I can handle a couple of bouncing birdmen... Take care of the kingdom Oren. I'll be back as soon as I can." Oren nodded.

Right as he was about to mount his bird, the prince heard a loud sound.

"_Tarren!"_ He turned and saw his sister, Jenni, running towards him in white cotton nightgown and pink silk robe. She was too young to attend the party, and should've been asleep. She rushed to the group of men, loose golden hair flying behind her, silky wings fluttering, and wrapped her arms around her brother's waist.

"Oh Tarren! The maids told me what you said in the ballroom! Is it true? Are you really gonna be gone a whole _year?_" The weeping child said, tears streaming down her face. Tarren knelt down to her level and looked her in the eyes.

"Jennora, I know it's hard for you, but I _have_ to go! I promise it won't even be a year, before I've returned with the Lady of Destiny."

The girl sniffed. "F-from the stories mama used to tell us?"

Tarren smiled. "Yes the exact ones. I'm going to bring her back here and she's going to be my queen, and heal Willhollow. I promise I'll be back as soon as I can."

Jenni wrapped her arms around Tarren again, as one last, goodbye hug, then released, and watched as he and his men mounted their birds and took off into the dark woods. She watched until they were far from view, and long after.

"Be careful brother..."

Meanwhile, Tarren was starring at the picture of the girl. The girl who would soon become his wife. What would she be like? What was her name even?

Tarren decided it didn't matter. All that mattered was protecting his home and his sister. Still, he couldn't help but wonder... He smiled. He was going to find her and bring her home. No matter what...


	3. Forgive Me?

**_Hey_ please ****don't hate me. I had an absolutely _horrible, _stressful day yesterday and fell asleep before I could post the next chapter. Sooooo guess what? _YOU GUYS ARE GETTIN' TWO! _That's right, I'm posting chapters 3 & 4 tonight! So I hope that makes up for feeling crappy yesterday, and sorry, I am just human.**

**Also, like I said I'm gonna try and post chapter 4 tonight too, but I;ve been struggling with wifi problems tonight too, so if it ****doesn't load, then again, REALLY sorry, and will update twice tomorrow or something.**

**Alright enjoy!**

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**Chapter 3:**

**Forgive me?**

(Several months later)

_(MK's POV)_

"Hey Larry!" I greeted the enthusiastic taxi driver as I tossed my backpack in and hopped into the backseat of his little yellow car. Kids were excitedly exiting the school, thrilled for summer to finally ended the school year, but that was all behind me as the taxi began to speed off.

"Well hey there kid! Glad to be outta school aren't ya?"

I smiled. "You have_ no_ idea."

"Wasn't this your last year of school?"

"Yup Senior year. I am _done_, and I can't _wait _to get home."

Larry laughed. "Well that's good. Sure different from when you first got here."

"Yeah, well I actually got to know my dad better so it's not bad anymore." I said. Larry just smiled and hurried down the street. I was practically bouncing around in the backseat, ridiculously eager to get home. With the start of summer began the start of my stay down in Moonhaven.

After my first visit to the hidden kingdom in the woods, I hadn't returned for several months, deciding to focus on my last year of school more. It was difficult, considering how almost dull and pointless school seemed compared to the crazy adventures I'd just been on. Still, I stayed away for some time, focusing on school and only seeing Nod through dad's cameras.

One day however, just a couple weeks ago, Ronin had been the one to set off the cameras and not Nod, which was unusual.

At that time he asked me if I would like a position as personal guardian of the queen over the summer, since she was so young. I wouldn't actually be body guarding her, he explained; that was the Leafmen's job. I'd simply be a companion of sorts. If I liked the position over summer, I could have a permanent spot in Moonhaven.

It was crazy and unexpected, but I didn't have any plans for the summer, or college afterward, so I figured it was worth a shot, but just for the summer. I couldn't possibly take a permanent place... It was still nice though. Not to mention it meant I'd be able to stay close to my dad, while still being with my boyfriend.

"So you got any summer plans MK?" Larry asked, as if reading my mind.

"Uh yeah I'm umm...I'm staying with some friends nearby for the summer." I said, smiling.

"Oh really! Well that sounds fun. No boys right?" he said jokingly. I laughed.

"Well just one..."

"Oh no you'd better be careful missy!" He laughed, being his typical, overly chatty self. I rolled my eyes and replied almost mockingly.

"Oh no, he's a total gentleman."

Larry smiled, before looking ahead. "Well it looks like we're here! You have a good summer MK."

I grinned, giddy with excitement. "Thanks, bye Larry!"

I then grabbed my backpack and ran across the lawn and through the front door. Ozzie was sleeping in the corner, drooling over everything, and my dad was at his work desk as usual, typing away on his dinosaur computers. I smiled and tapped his shoulder.

He turned to me and smiled. "Mary Katherine! You're back! How was the last day?"

I sighed a sigh of relief. "Long-awaited, that's all I can say."

Dad laughed. "Oh well umm all your stuff's packed so uh I'm sure you'll wanna be leaving soon..." I could see him trying to be happy for me, but you couldn't deny the hint of sadness. I sighed and hugged him.

"Dad I'm going to be right across the street. And if there's any type of emergency I can come right back. It's totally fine."

Dad sighed. "A-Alright. But if there is the _slightest _sign of any trouble, you are coming right home young lady, is that clear?"

I groaned. "Yes dad now can I go?" He smiled and hugged me once more, before I took off upstairs to get my travelling backpack and change into a pair of shorts, a red Coke t-shirt, and a pair of grey sneakers. After fixing my ponytail, I headed downstairs, where dad was waiting.

"Alright, I'm already to go. And I'll set off the cameras as soon as I can, I swear."

"Good! Good, good. Now just be careful and have fun making the forest grow!"

I laughed, gave him one final goodbye hug, and hurried into the woods, when I had lost sight of the house, I set my suitcase down, and pulled from my pocket, a small, glass bottle, filled with an elixir from the queen.

She had made it as soon as she realized I would need to travel here often. One drop of it would instantly make me small when I was big, and vise versa. Much more convenient than some crazy whirlwind.

I took the cap off, and used the applicator to drip one drop on my tongue, and stuck the bottle back in my pocket. I closed my eyes, as a warm fuzzy feeling enveloped me.

Before I knew it, I was a tiny person on the forest floor. About ready to burst from excitement, I began walking and let out a whistle to call for a bird. Nod had taught me a special whistle that would immediately send a bird right to me.

I whistled, and waited, and whistled, and waited some more, but no one came.

"Huh. I wonder where they are?"

I was about to let out one more whistle, when suddenly I felt the ground disappear from beneath my feet, and I was flying up into the air at ridiculous speeds

"AAAAHHHHH!" I screamed, pinching my eyes shut as I felt myself go higher and higher. What the hell was going on?!

Suddenly, I heard the amused laugh that I knew so well, and my eyes shot open.

"Well sheesh! If this is how you're gonna react when I come to pick you up, I'll let you walk next time." My two-inch tall boyfriend said. I looked up at his face, and was instantly lost in his chocolate brown eyes. He had on his trademark smirk. "Now did someone miss me or what?"

Snapping out of my trance, I punched the leafman hard in the arm.

"Oww! What was that for?!" He protested.

"For almost KILLING me! Nod, what the heck is your problem?! I could've had a heart attack! That was_ so_ not funny..."

"Actually, it _was_ pretty funny...Aww come on!" He whined as I faced my back to him, arms crossed, huffing. He landed the bird on a nearby tree and tried to reason with me.

"C'mon MK I was just joking."

"Yeah, well I didn't get it. You almost gave me a heart attack..." I muttered, trying to hold back my smile. I was never very good at playing mad.

"Hey MK...?" He said softly, and I felt his hand under my chin. I turned toward him and was instantly met by his lips on mine. My heart suddenly fluttered in my chest. My eyes softly drifted shut as I reached to hold his cheek. His arms wrapped around me, one wrapping around my waist, the other resting at the base of my neck. Both my arms snaked around his neck as I pulled myself closer, sliding into this perfect little dream...

Eventually we broke apart for air, and he pressed his forehead to mine. "You forgive me?

"Yeah, sure..." I said, still a little dazed. He was just too adorable to be mad at...and boy did he know how to _kiss_.

He laughed and hugged me "Good. C'mon let's get back to Moonhaven! Everyone's been dying to see you." I hopped behind him and wrapped my arms around his waist. Then he grabbed the reins and took off towards the other.

"And yes, I did miss you..." I muttered, squeezing him tighter.

We soared among the trees and leaves. I laughed, and raised my arms like I was on a roller coaster, basking in the summer sun, breathing in the clean air. Suddenly, the bird jerked to the side, causing me to quickly wrap my arms back around Nod. He laughed. "Too much for you?"

"No!" I said stubbornly. "Just scared me is all."

Nod just kept laughing. He seemed so happy and alive. I smiled, and snuggled against him. It was so good to see him again...

After having been separated for so long, I had been starting to doubt that Nod would even want to keep this going. I mean, I'd heard of long-distance but never across 'dimensions' as dad put it. I'd have figured he'd stopped going to so much troule for us. I mean... It was only _me..._

We reached Moonhaven within minutes, and boy was there a welcoming party. Ronin was the first person I saw, followed by the queen nearby, who was smiling and waving frantically. She was so energetic; it was hard to consider her as the elegant queen figure she was. Nim Galuu was there too, followed by basically the _entire_ population of Moonhaven.

"Well what do you think? Some welcoming committee huh?" Nod asked.

I blinked a couple times. "Yeah, I _guess_ but why are there so many people?! Did you guys seriously invite everybody?"

"We didn't invite anyone! They just all came to welcome you."

I smiled, feeling some sort of tug on my heart. These people all cared about me that much? Why? All I'd done was play some bat tunes. It was the Leafmen who'd fought off the Boggans. They were the heroes here. Still, it was nice to have them all here. It felt like my second family.

The moment we landed, the Queen basically sacked me. Had it not been for Nod steadying me, I probably would've fallen over. "Woah!" I cried.

"Oh my gosh! Mary Katherine I missed you so much! Why did you have to leave for so long?! Thing's have been SO boring with out you!" She yelled, before starting to babble on at a hundred miles per hour. I smiled. I guess we had started to form a sort of sister-bond, which was good since I'd be spending a lot of time with her.

"It's good to see you Mk. How's it been?" I then heard General Ronin say, as he shook my hand.

"Same goes for you General. And it's been great. I'm _so _glad to be back."

I was greeted by more than a hundred more people, and everyone was so kind. It was such an incredible feeling... However, there were a couple of faces I had been expecting that weren't there.

"Wait, where are Mub and Grub?" I asked.

The queen had the answer to that one. "Well as the Royal Pod Caregivers, they sort of have to be at their job 24/7, unless there's some sort of emergency."

"Aww. Well I'm sure we'll see them eventually."

Nod grinned, probably a little relieved that Mub wasn't there to irritate him anyways. "Well let's head inside. I'm pretty sure they're throwing a party to celebrate."

I groaned. "Really? A party?! Guys this seriously wasn't necessary."

"Of COURSE it was! I planned everything too!" The queen said, tugging at my arm and pulling me inside. I sighed, looking back at Nod and mouthing, "Help Me". He just laughed. This was gonna be a long night...


	4. Stupid Fairies

**...Ugh I know I really suck. Seriously I am so sorry but during the one weekend that I was **_**totally**_** free, my wifi decided to be like "LOL let's troll and piss off Macy by not letting her internet load at all! YEAH, TROLLING, FIST PUMP!"**

**-_-" Yyyyeah... ANYWAYS!  
**

**Now I think I've found a way to temporarily fix it until my parents call Charter to get the freaking router boosted. Until then, I will TRY my **_**very **_**best to update regularly but... you know.**

**P.S. This chapter is just that last little bit of introductory filler. The _next _chapter is where ****things star to get interesting. MUAHAHAHAHAH! Huahaha... haaaa... Yeah. :|**

**Anyways _Enjoy!_**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

**Stupid Fairies...**

_(Nod's POV)_

I watched as the queen began dragging MK into the castle. She turned towards me and mouthed the words "Help me". I just laughed. She was the one who chose to come here! She was on her own.

I was about to follow the crowd inside, when I caught sight of couple Leafmen flying in, and they looked like they had urgent news. I hurried over with Ronin.

"Hello gentlemen. How did the scouting go?" Ronin asked.

"Well... we've got some interesting news sir. We gathered information from several sources and it appears that a small squad has been seen heading in this direction. Men of Willhollow sir."

Both our head snapped to the soldier at that moment. I must have heard him wrong. I mean, it couldn't be...

"From Willhollow? Are you sure? We've haven't had problems with them for years..." Ronin muttered.

"Well yeah that's cause we haven't_ seen _them in years. Last I checked they still hate our guts." I said, before muttering under my breath. "And I still hate theirs. Stupid fairies..."

I had always hated Willhollow. They had just another thorn in our side when we were trying to take care of the Boggans. You'd think instead of fighting us over stupid pride issues, they'd take a hint and try help up save our home! But nooooo! All they cared about was saving their own skins...

"Are you absolutely certain that they're coming?" Ronin's question dragged me out of my angry daydream.

"Yes sir. We've spoken with dozens of witnesses. Some even say that Prince Tarren in among their ranks."

My eyes narrowed. Of all the people in Willhollow, I'd always hated their royal family most. They were just selfish, snobby jerks with wings. Even when we had actually needed their help with fighting the Boggans, they had only cared about themselves...

Ronin's eyes widened. "Why would the prince come with just a handful of soldiers?"

"Maybe they've come to try and make peace?"

I scoffed. "Oh yeah like that's gonna happen? They hate us more than we hated the Boggans."

"Nod's right, I highly doubt they'd come all this way for that... But then what are they coming for...?" Ronin sat thinking for a moment, before turning to the men.

"Go and see what other information you can find on these guys. And while you're

at it, tell the others to stay on their guard."

"Yes General." The Leafmen said, before taking off. Ronin turned back to me.

"I don't like this at all..." Ronin muttered, deep in thought. After an awkward moment or two, I patted him on the back. "Well let's not worry about it now. C'mon let's go celebrate! MK's back!"

Ronin raised an eyebrow. "Well sure that's something for _you_ to celebrate."

I punched him in the shoulder. "Shut up!"

He laughed. "Get in there tiger. She's probably looking for you."

Shaking my head at the old man, I walked inside and began searching for my girlfriend, which was a difficult feat considering all the people gathered inside. I was surprised the building hadn't burst yet.

Eventually I caught sight of the girl in her shorts and red t-shirt. She was tucked away by a window, near the stairs that led to the balcony, being bombarded by people congratulating her on her return to Moonhaven and questioning her about her world back home. Deciding it was time I rescued the damsel in distress, I walked on over.

"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but I'm afraid I need to borrow our new guest for a bit." They all groaned disappointedly, but hurried off nonetheless. MK took my hand.

"Thank you _so_ much." She whispered exasperatedly. I stifled a laugh.

"Not a problem milady, although you do owe me one. Now... let's go take a little detour..." I whispered in her ear before leading her away, up the stairs. She laughed. "Where are we going?"

I smirked. "You'll see... Now close your eyes." I said before covering her eyes with my hands. She started laughing. "Nod this is ridiculous! Will you just tell me where you're taking me?" I didn't reply, only laughed.

We got to our destination quickly, and I couldn't hold back my smile."Okay on the count of three. One... Two... Three!" and I removed my hands, revealing the view from the top of the balcony. All of Moonhaven was lit from top to toe for the return of their hero.

MK gasped, her jaw dropping to the floor. I smiled. "You like it?"

"Do I _like _it? It's like the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" She said, walking over to the railing. Lifting her legs over it, she sat on the edge, starring out at her home for the summer. I couldn't stop starring at her though. Everything about her was just breathtaking to me. Eventually she turned back to me.

"What are you looking at?" She said humorously, her eyes playful. She was so beautiful, in the glow of the city. I began slowly leaning in, not saying a word. She froze, her eyes beginning to slowly shut. My hand reached for her face, cupping her cheek softly. Her hand reached up and grasped the back of my neck, pulling me in.

Suddenly her lips were on mine, and the rest was history. She pulled herself as close to me as she could and I leaned my head in to deepen the kiss. Suddenly she slid back off the railing. Luckily I caught her before she hit the ground.

"Woah! That was close." She said, arms wrapped around my neck as I held her bridal style.

"Looks like that's two you owe me now." I said, smirking. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. Now put me down!"

"No actually I think I like you right here." I said, sitting down with her still in my arms. She huffed, before trying to wriggle away, but I wasn't having that. I simply wrapped my arms around her so she couldn't get away. She pouted.

"You know you really suck."

"Why thank you, I do try."

While we were sitting there, I suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" I said, before reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small necklace. It wasn't extravagant to say the least; a simply, brown, cord-like string. Dangling from it was a crescent moon, about the size of a quarter in her world, made from this silvery-white stone. MK gasped.

"Where did you get this?!"

"Oh uh I made it, as a sort of welcome-home gift. It's to remind you that you'll always have a home here, ya know?"

She had me put in on, and was simply beaming. "Nod it's beautiful but..."

My smiled dropped. "You don't like it?"

She smiled. "No, it's absolutely gorgeous, but..." She leaned up and kissed me on the cheek. "_You're_ my home. I belong wherever you are..."

I rubbed the back of my head, feeling a blush rushing into my cheeks. "Well ya know. It's... It's the thought that counts."

She laughed, and leaned into my chest. "I love you..."

My eyes grew wide. I looked down at the little redhead pressed into me, unable to speak. I tried to utter words but my mouth just kinda hung open like a fish. She looked up at me and smirked. "Well I do?! Sheesh, if this is how you're gonna react when I say I love you, I'll let you say it first next time."

I laughed, a little breathless, before kissing the top of her head. "I love you too Mary Katherine..." and I meant it...with everything I had...

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**DAWWW how precious?! XD Lol no. But yeah this chapter just pukes fluff don't it?! XDD Ugh it's late I' sorry for the psychoness. Anyways I also wanted to ask whether you guys think it would be better to post EVERY day, or every OTHER day. **

**I know most of you will be like "God Macy are you ****retorted? Every day of course!" But i for one like a _little _bit of time in between to let my brain enjoy and process each part of the chapter. So tell me what you think!  
**

**Also if you think it's moving too fast or slow or any comments you have! I'd love to improve! Just... No irrational hating... That makes me sad... :S**

**Okay seriously goodnight guys. UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER!**


	5. What the Hell is a Lady of Destiny?

**Well guess who's parents decided to be **_**freaking awesome **_**and get our wifi fixed **_**today?!**_

_**THIS GIRL!**_

**So yeah now if I don't update it's either school (which is deciding to suck ass as of late), or I'm just being a lazy butt (which is also very likely, though I will **_**try **_**not to be).**

**So here ya go! Enjoy Chapter 5!**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

**What the Hell is a Lady of Destiny?!**

_(MK's POV)_

The warmth of sunlight flowed in through the slightly pulled back curtains of my placw. It wasn't like that irritating, morning sunlight though. It was a warm, comforting light that softly coaxed me awake. I smiled. This was by far the best summer I'd had in a while.

I hopped out of bed and changed from my sweatpants and t-shirt into a pair of capris and a blue and white striped tank top. Tugging on my sneakers, I went to go find the queen. It was my job to be her companion after all.

I found her in the library tree of Nim Galuu. They were experimenting with the elixir that was used to change my size. Apparently they were trying to see if they could find a way to fuse it into a charm or something, so I wouldn't have to keep getting refills. It would simply be more convenient for me.

Nim chuckled. "I think I've almost got it your highness. Now I just need an object to fuse the elixir with. Perhaps a seed or a stone or... perhaps that?" He said, pointing to my necklace. I grasped it almost protectively.

"Oh, umm no I'd prefer to leave this as is. Sorry. I'll find something else."

"No it's fine I think I've got something in the back..." Then he trailed off as he rummaged through drawers in the back room. The Queen grinned at me.

"Soooo, where'd you get the necklace, huh? Maybe a certain Leafman?"

I sighed good-naturedly and looked at her. "Maybe..."

She laughed. "I knew it!" She giggled a little, before turning serious. "Mary Katherine, are you going to marry Nod."

I went stiff. My heart started pounding in my chest and I tried to speak but I couldn't find the words. Finally I could choke something out. "Ah well uh...I-I don't _know. _Why are you asking me?"

"I don't know. You just seem like you love each other so much, you should get married."

I let out a choked breath"Your highness, with all due respect, you don't just up and _marry _someone? It's irrational, and ridiculous for that matter."

"Well not if you loved him! And besides you're in love. Of course you're going to be irrational and ridiculous!"

I glance down skeptically at the girl, who sheepishly grinned back. "Or at least that's what my mom says."

I scoffed. "Exactly..."

The kid was persistent though. "But seriously. Why not? I mean, you're nearly nineteen now, which is old enough to get married in your world, and you don't have school anymore. It's not really that irrational."

I sighed. "I just... what about my dad huh? I couldn't just leave him..."

"He lives across the street MK! And besides if you miss him that much you could bring him here. I can kinda do that you know. But whatever, right?" Then she walked over to help Nim, smirking as she went.

I rolled my eyes at the girl. This was silly! I couldn't _stay_ here. As much as I loved these people and this place, it could never be my permanent home. I had a life in the real world, with normal sized people with my father and Ozzie and a normal life. _That _was my home...

"_**You're**__ my home. I belong wherever you are..."_

I groaned, growing frustrated with these thoughts floating around it my head, and headed for the door. I needed air, and some quiet space. "Hey Nim, can you watch her for me?"

"Isn't that your job kid?" he retorted, raising an eyebrow.

"Just do it please. I need a break to think."

With that, I headed towards the stable to grab a bird. There were a couple hummingbirds, and Nod's crazy cockatoo. Cringing at the thought of taking _that _thing out, I went for a lovely sparrow in the back, and was off. Interestingly, I had seemed to pick up flying quite easily, though I wasn't nearly as well-trained as the Leafmen. I could get to and from places though and that was what mattered.

I sighed, breathing in the rushing air as it flowed over me, taking in the land and the sky and everything. I couldn't get enough of this place...

After flying fairly deep into the woods, I found a nice patch of grass and landed. Tying my bird's reins to a nearby root, I pulled out one of my books from my bag and rested against a shrub's trunk to read and clear my head. I couldn't seem to focus on the story however. My thoughts were too clouded with what the queen had said.

Did I want to marry Nod?

Years of logical thinking were working against my answer. My instinct was to scream no and run away, but was that really true? I mean, I _did _love him. Maybe I _would_ want to marry him one day...? Just not now, I told myself. It was too soon, and I wasn't ready for that...

I lay down in the center of meadow and watched the clouds drift by. I wondered what Nod was doing right then. He was probably with Ronin training. The man nearly had to drag him away to get him to go. Nod seemed insistent on spending all his time with me. Maybe I should've been flattered or something, but I still thought it was important for him to become a good leafman.

Like Ronin, I knew the potential he had, and he had improved so much since I'd first met him. He was strong and smart when he wasn't being a moron. He knew how to handle situations and he knew how to take care of someone.

He could take care of me...

"_Mary Katherine, are you going to marry Nod."_

Nod... What would you think about marrying me?

(Later...)

"Wah!" I jumped up, before feeling a wave of grogginess wash over me. Where was I? Had I fall asleep? What time was it? After my head cleared a bit, I got up and looked around. I was still in that same meadow, with my book lying by the tree and the sparrow asleep by the root. The sun was a little lower in the sky though, suggesting I'd been asleep for some time

I smiled sleepily and walked over to my book. After putting it away in the bag, I awoke the bird, and mounted her. I wanted to go find Nod. The bird flapped off the ground and was about to take off when...

BAM!

"AH!" I yelled as something rammed into us. I was slammed from the bird and tossed to the ground, rolling over into the dirt.

"Ugghh... What the hell was that?!" I yelled, before looking up. There, lying next to my disoriented sparrow was a band of robins, gathering around the one who hit us.

"Hey, watch it! That kinda hurt." I groaned, picking myself up off the ground and dusting myself off. Getting a better view, I saw the men who were riding the robins. They definitely weren't Leafmen. They had a more...elegant demeanor, or stuck-up if you didn't like that kind of thing. They were just more polished than a leafman.

Another notable feature was that they all had a pair of sticking out of their backs.

"Wait, are you guys...fairies?"

They just rolled their eyes and retorted, "What do we look like lady?" They never really looked my way so I couldn't see their faces, but they sounded pissed off.

"Well _sorry_. Gosh... Well if you guys are alright then I'll be going-"

"Hey, hey ,hey! You aren't going anywhere. I expect to be paid for the damage to my bird!"

Then one of them really got a look at me, and perked up. "Wait... wait, wait, wait, guys! Look at her..."

The other soldiers looked over me, making me a bit self-conscious.

"I... I think this might be her!" one of them cheered. I raised an eyebrow.

"And who am I exactly?"

The men looked up at me, as if just realized I was a living entity. I was getting a bad feeling about the band of men...

"Look it's been nice and stuff, but I really need to get back to Moonhaven so-"

"My God! She's from Moonhaven. The prince was right! Oh men we're saved!"

Suddenly, I felt a strong wind, and looking up, I was shocked to see a large blue jay land right behind the flock of robins. A man dismounted for the bird with a crooked smile on his face. He had blonde hair, slightly long, but very sleekly styled, and dazzling blue-silver eyes. My eyes widened as I stepped back.

"What's all the commotion about men...?" He began speaking good-humoredly, before trailing off when he saw me. His silvery eyes widened as though he were a blind man seeing sunlight for the first time, and I was starting to get a little freaked out...

Suddenly he shoved his hand into his worn coat pocket and pulled out a slightly crumpled envelope. From this he pulled a sheet of paper and scanned over it, before doing the same to me. I was starting to get sick of people checking me out, but I didn't dare say a word. I wasn't sure what to do, or how to get away. My bird was still tumbling around in the background, so that was out of question, and I was too far to run...

Oh, where was Nod when you needed him?

I glanced around, desperate for help, when I suddenly caught sight of a young flower woman and her son, starring wide-eyed and worried from afar. I mouthed the words "Get help! Leafmen! Go!" and she appeared to understand, because she quickly scooped up her boy and headed for Moonhaven. I prayed she got to Nod in time.

"It _is_ you..." the blond man whispered, before slowly walking towards me. "You don't know... _how_ long we've been looking for you... You must come with us immediately! We don't have much time and I must-"

The man reached for my hand to take me back to his bird, but I jumped back. He looked at me with a look of confusion, like my refusal baffled him somehow.

"No! Okay look I don't know who you are or what you want with me but I'm not going with anyone!" I said defiantly, feeling the panic begin to rise again. At this point I figured I was too far away from anyone to get help. My only choice would be to run, or fight, and I wasn't really great at either of those things...

"What? No of course you know me! It's our destiny. You are to return to Willhollow and marry me and save our home! We must go as soon as possible!"

"_WHAT?!_ I don't know you think you are buddy but there is no way in HELL I am marrying _you_. So _**good day!**_" I said, before trying to worm my way around to my bird. The man stood there in complete shock, as though not expecting this at all. What the heck was his problem?!

Then he snapped out of it.

"No...No we have to go. I don't have time for this... I'm sorry but you're coming with me!" He said before lunging at me and grabbing hold of my wrist.

"No! Let go of me!" I screamed, trying to tear away from his grip. It was no use, but I had to keep trying.

"Tarren stop! She doesn't understand!" the soldier with black hair said.

"Jason this is the _Lady of Destiny_! She will understand!"

"_What?!_ What the hell is a Lady of Destiny?! Let GO OF ME!"

"Stop! Please I need you to come with us!" The blonde man said handing me over to another soldier, who starting dragging me onto his bird.

"No! NOD! NOD, HELP ME!" I screamed as loud as I possibly could, but there was no one to hear. I was going to be taken who knows where with these strange men, and I might never see Nod, or Ronin, or my father, or anyone else ever again...

I continued to struggle even as the birds began to rise up. The blond one, Tarren, was arguing with the black-haired boy, Jason, about taking me captive, and it made no sense. Who was this Lady of Destiny? Did they think it was me?

In the confusion of the fighting, they didn't notice the formation of hummingbirds zipping towards us at lightning speeds, and one of them breaking off directly towards me, but I did.

Seeking my last chance, I quickly ripped away from the man and leapt into the air, right as the hummingbird zoomed past, and a pair of strong arms gathered me up. I knew without even seeing his face that it was Nod, and I clung as close to him as I possibly could.

"Thank God you're okay..." He practically gasped, crushing me to his chest. Suddenly he grabbed me by the shoulders and looked me straight in the eyes. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you!? God Mary Katherine you scared me to death!"

I laughed a breathless laugh. "No I'm fine, I'm fine!" Suddenly I crashed my lips to his in a quick but heated kiss. "It's _so _good to see you." I gasped against his lips. He let out an exasperated breath, before taking me in his arms again.

"I am seriously going to hunt down those bastards and teach them who not to mess with..." I heard him mutter into my hair. I looked down and saw the other Leafmen chasing away the fairy men.

"No, Nod! Please just...just take me home..."

He smirked his signature smirk. "I thought I _was_ your home?

I laughed into his chest. "Not now you idiot..."

Nod sighed and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Its okay MK. You're safe now. I'm not going to let _anyone _hurt you..."

With those comforting words, I cuddled into his arms as he flew us home...

* * *

**Oh my... Wow I reread this chapter before posting it and... holy shit Tarren is totally a pedophilic murderer kidnapper creep! XDDD I _soooooo_ did not think he sounded that bad when i first wrote this... Wow like seriously he's a creep. I feel like i have to defend him a bit though.**

**I mean, imagine if you had to run a kingdom all by yourself, and you found out the only way to save it from total destruction was to marry someone you had _never met before. _I mean sure Tarren thought she was pretty, but he's still not into the idea of _loving _her. It's a sacrifice he's making for his kingdom...**

**But he's literally been searching for months on end without finding a thing. Now he finds a girl that's literally the spitting image of the girl in his picture, _and _she's from Moonhaven... and she won't go with them.**

**PLEASE NOTE that the prophecy never said she wouldn't know who she was. Tarren was expecting a girl who knew she was the Lady of Destiny, and knew that _her _destiny was to go to Willhollow to save it. For him to be searching for months, almost to the point of madness, and have her not understand... It wasn't doing him good for the old brain.**

**I'm not saying he was _right _to try and freaking kidnap the poor girl, but at the moment he's not exactly in the right mind. So now that I've said what i can, you're free to hate him or not.**

**Honestly i did _not _mean to make him so creepy.. but whatever!**

**Until tomorrow.**

**~ Macy**


	6. I Promise

**Heyy! Wow look at me posting two chapters in one day! You guys must just be thrilled! XD yeah I figured I'd post this one two since it fits together with chapter 5 really well. Plus, I wanted to make up for missing stuff over the weekend, **_**and **_**to celebrate my renewed wifi!**

**So yup here it is! Enjoy!**

**P.S. something you should know about my writing is that sometimes I will rewind in the story and write it in someone else's POV. So yeah just in case you're confused ever... Alright **_**now **_**you can enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

**I Promise**

_(Tarren's POV)_

"Tarren this is ridiculous! We can't just kidnap her?! The Leafmen will come after her. She said herself she's from Moonhaven!"

"I don't care! I've searched for nearly seven months for the Lady of Destiny and I'm not going to give her up now! She'll understand eventually." I muttered, almost to myself. She had to understand. Mother never said anything about the Lady not cooperating. That wasn't part of the deal!

"Oh no _Tarren!_ INCOMING!" Jason suddenly yelled, and I looked up just fast enough to see the Lady of Destiny leap into the air, and a Leafman swoop down and take her away.

"NO!" I yelled, ready to take off after her, when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Jason, giving me that look he always gave me when I was being stubborn. "Tarren, it's for the best."

"For the best?! _For the best?! _She's GONE! How is that the best for anyone?!"

"Because it gives us time to plan. Gives _you _time to _**think**_. And clear your head... let's go men!" he then called out, and with good timing too, because a squad of Leafmen were zipping towards us to chase u away from Moonhaven. We retreated to our hidden campsite to rest...

**(Later...)**

I starred at the small dying fire as Jason poked it and tried to bring it back to life. We were the only two left awake, considering it was nearly eleven at night. This was probably good for both of us, since we needed a heart-to-heart talk.

"I just... I just don't understand Jason. Why doesn't she know who we are, or who _she _is?"

"Well... Maybe it's not her?"

I gave him a mocking look. "Jason you saw the picture. _It was her..._ and she doesn't even know that. She was _supposed_ to know. The prophecy _never _said she wouldn't know!"

"Well, even a priest doesn't know the future, he only predicts what he can."

"Still... Ugh I was such a fool! I acted like a complete lunatic..."

"Well in all honestly you kinda have been a complete lunatic for a while now..."

I glanced up at my friend, confused. "What do you mean?"

Jason just scoffed incredulously. "You've just been obsessed! Like you would sacrifice the limbs of all your men just to find this woman..."

I groaned, placing my head in my hand. "Jason I can't go back without her, and I can't be too late. Willhollow, my sister... what would she think of the older brother who left her to die?"

Jason scoffed. "You think I don't understand the urgency of this missions, Tarren? The girl _doesn't understand!"_

"_She __**has to!**__"_ I yelled, standing straight up. Jason just looked at me like I was a blurting a powerless threat. "She has too... We're out of time Jason, ad I don't have time to show her who she is..."

I sat back down and we both starred at the fire for what felt like a long while, before Jason spoke again.

"Well, maybe we don't need to show her who she is? Maybe we can simply show her what she has to do?"

I raised an eyebrow.

Jason rolled his eyes. "We show her the desperation of our situation; how she is _literally_ our last hope. She's with the Leafmen so it won't be easy to get to her, but we have to try. Like you said, we don't have time left."

I sighed. "That might be what we have to do... I can't think of any better ideas anyways..."

We sat for a few more moments, before Jason got up and stretched. "Well, I'm going to sleep now. It's about time you did too Tarren. We've all had a long day..."

"I will soon. I just...I just need some time to think..."

"I get it. Goodnight your highness."

And just like that, I was alone. I starred up at the star-dazzled sky above, and thought of my parents, of my sister. Was I making them proud with what I was doing? How could I be?

It was only when I was alone that I began questioning the unfairness of it all. Why did I have to be the one to give up everything for the kingdom? Why did _I _have to go marry a complete stranger? Why did I have to be the one _everyone _was counting on...?

I sighed, and closed my eyes.

Because I was Willhollow's prince, that was why. I had a duty to them to keep them safe, and if that meant giving up the remainder of my freedom to marry this girl... then so be it...

"I'm sorry Jenni. I promise, I'm going to save you..."

**(Meanwhile...)**

_(Nod's POV)_

"So, they just came out of nowhere and tried to kidnap you?" Ronin asked, sitting down to listen to MK's story.

"No!" The girl groaned. "Ugh I told you! When I was about to take off, they ran into my bird and took us both down. I think it was originally an accident, but then they started acting weird and cheering that they'd 'finally found me' or something."

I bit back the hiss of irritation that threatened to resonate. I was certain I would have broken something by the end of her story, but I let her continue. I wanted to know exactly what they'd tried to do, so I'd know exactly how to tear their asses off and burn them.

"Then suddenly this blonde one shows up, and he's the weirdest of them all. Going on about how he had to take me back to his home and marry me or something!"

My eyes shot open, blazing.

"He. Said. _What?"_

"Exactly! I was like 'dude I don't know who you are, but that's not happening!' and he seemed almost _shocked _that I refused. Like what was he expecting?! Then he started dragging off, muttering about how I had to save his home or something, I don't know..."

Nim shook his head, and took a sip of his mug of tea. "Well this still doesn't really explain _why_ they wanted **you** particularly. Why not some other girl?"

"Well as they were about to take off, one of the men started arguing with the blonde one, yelling something about some seven-month search, and some woman... girl of destiny or something."

Nim dropped the mug.

"The Lady of Destiny..."

Everyone looked at him, and MK spoke. "Yeah that was the one! They said she was supposed to 'understand' and 'cooperate'... Do you think they were confusing me with this lady?"

But Nim wasn't paying attention. Instead, he had rushed to his desk and was rummaging through papers and books, muttering about prophecies or something. Ronin was discussing things with the queen. Mk and I took that as our ticket to leave.

I kept watching her, trying to find out how she was coping with this whole experience. She's seemed relatively okay.

Too okay in fact.

"Mk?" I said, as she started heading back to her room. "Yeah?" She replied.

I walked over to her and looked her right in the eyes. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah. Of course, why wouldn't I...?"

I simply starred at her harder. She trailed off before sighing and leaning into me.

"No..."

I wrapped my arms around her as she clung to my shirt. "Heyyy, it's alright. I've got you, I've got you..."

"I just... I just have a really bad feeling that those guys are going to come back for me... and I still don't know what they want..."

I pulled her away just far enough to look at her face again, and took her cheeks in my hand. "Mary Katherine, if you think for even a _second,_ that I would let anything happen to you, then you are absolutely crazy." With that I leaned down and kissed her. Just a quick, soft peck on the lips. It was just enough though.

"I promise MK. I'm going to protect you..."

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and we just held each other for what felt like forever. "I know you will..." She whispered in my ear, and I buried my face into her shoulder, just wanting to soak up her smell, her feel, her touch, her voice, her everything. I couldn't get enough of her...

But eventually, she had to leave. She gave me a goodnight kiss, and headed off.

I starred after her, thinking about that promise. I meant it. I was going to protect her with my very life if I had to.

Because I loved her that much.

* * *

**GAH TEARS! XDD lol not really. It's starting to get interesting though!**

**Hey one more thing about this story. I started writing this thing like right after Epic came out, so I didn't remember the layout of Moonhaven as well. Obviously everything's not as close together as it is on IDBIL, but hey it's MY story! **_**I can do whatever I want yo! ***__**gangster signs**__*** **_

**Lol sorry yeah I'm so not gangster. I'm a sad white girl trapped inside an Italian chick's body XD**

**Alright sorry for killing 2 minutes of your life. You're free to go.**

**Until tomorrow! (For reals now lol)**

**~ Macy**


	7. Speak of the Devil

**Rawr.. There nothing worse than cramps, a sinus headache, and a sore throat _all _at once. Sorry for not updating yesterday but i was up until like 11 carving a spiderman mask into our halloween pumpkin, and it took freaking forever. **

**But hey since you guys are so into this little thing, I'll post chapter 8 as well. So REJOICE!**

**Lol enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

**Speak of the Devil**

_(MK's POV)_

"Really Nod, I'm _fine._ You said so yourself! The entire place in on lockdown!I just need some quiet space!" I argued, slowly trying to inch toward the door. Nod was about to speak but I put my hand up_. "By myself."_

The boy groaned. "MK I don't like it, okay? They tried to _kidnap _you..."

"Yeah and no one's seen them in a like week so I don't think it's a big deal. Pleeaaassee?"

He shook his head, unsure. "I don't know..."

I sighed. Nod had been hovering way too much ever since the almost-kidnapping incident, and it was starting to get on my nerves. After a moment or two, he spoke again. "...Don't you think it'd be safe to maybe go home for a week or two? Just so we can-"

"Heck no!" I blurted out. I didn't care _who_ was here I was n_ot_ going home! Although, I did feel a slight twinge of regret because I _had _promised my dad I would come home if there were any trouble...

To be honest though, I didn't think I was in that much trouble. The men who had appeared that day never showed their faces after, though that was probably because we had the entire area on total lockdown. No one got in or out without the Leafmen knowing. Still, after an entire week you could assume they weren't there anymore.

"Nod I promise, I'll be _fine._" I said, looking him right in the eyes and giving him the slightest little pouting lip.

After a moment or two, he finally let out a sigh of surrender and hugged me. "Just... stay close okay?"

I laughed. "Relax. I'll be fine! See you in a while."

With that, I grabbed my backpack and started off into the woods. Because of the previous events over the last week, everyone decided it would be better for me to stay as close to Moonhaven as possible, but it had begun to feel restrictive, which took away my favorite part of this place. The feeling of freedom...

That's why I needed to go. I needed to renew that feeling.

This new high alert_ did_ have its perks however. Because the Leafmen thought I needed to know how to protect myself 'just in case', Ronin had been giving me a little training of my own. Sure I wouldn't be going to battle anytime soon, but at least I was handy with a knife?

The only downside was Nod. He was getting_ way_ too clingy. I understood why of course; if there were someone had tried to take him away, I wouldn't have wanted to let him out of my sight either. It did get irritating however. That was why I needed this...

I found a clear opening beneath a small leaf cover, and decided this would be a fine place to chill out and go over things in my head.

Now what did I know about these guys so far? From what I'd learned from Nod and Ronin, they definitely weren't friends of ours. I heard stories about the fights they'd had in the past, and it didn't sound pretty. Nod seemed to dislike them most of all...

Then again, they also seemed like they were in trouble and needed my help. I almost felt kind of bad actually. Despite being totally creeped out by them, they did seem like they'd been looking for this "Lady of Destiny" for a long time, and insisted it was me. They must have really needed her...

Nim seemed to know more about this Lady than any of us, but no one had really talked to him since he heard about my encounter. He had been locked in his tree, rummaging through papers and trying to find..._something_. No one knew what it was though...

I sighed, realizing that I had started pacing, and sat down cross-legged among the swaying grasses. Then I pulled out the knife Nod had given me. It was a fairly small one, but very pretty. The handle was made of a light wood and engraved with a swirling, leafy design. I loved it, despite not being extremely skilled with how to use it. I could protect myself well enough, and that was all I needed.

While sitting there, twiddling with the little knife, I heard a soft rustle in the bush, and froze. Despite my heart starting to speed up slightly, I tried to keep calm. It was probably just a bug or something.

Another rustles, and it _definitely_ didn't sound like a bug...

No...No it couldn't be them. After not being seen for a week and a half nearly, they couldn't _possibly _just show up _**exactly **_where I was!

"Oh...It's you." I suddenly heard a shocked voice from behind me.

Then again, that would be _exactly_ what would happen to me.

I jumped up as quickly as I possibly could and backed away, knife up. It was the crazy blonde one who had grabbed me first.

"Oh god, it's _you _again. Look dude I don't know what you're problem is, but you'd better get _out _of here!" I threatened, gripping the knife tighter. The boy put his hands up in surrender.

"No, please listen to me. I-"

He took and step towards me and I backed up three more, holding my knife up towards him. "You'd better _stay __**back**_." I said in a darker voice. He took a step back, and unsheathed his sword. I took a deep breath, ready to scream.

"No wait stop!" he said urgently, before throwing the sword to the side, and raising his hand in surrender again. My eyes narrowed. Without his weapon, he seemed much less menacing, but I still didn't trust him.

"What's your name?" He asked innocently. I didn't reply, but began circling him, checking to see if he had any more weapons on him. It didn't look like it but I couldn't really be sure.

The man waited a moment longer, before sighing, frustrated. "Look, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to know you're name."

I scoffed. "Well I don't think that's any of your business Mr...Kidnapper!" I retorted, although it fell a little flat. To my surprise, the man let out a soft chuckle.

"We were _not_ kidnapping you."

I sneered. "Oh sure, cause that _totally _wasn't kidnapping."

He sighed. "Well... It wasn't supposed to be." Then he went and sat down, leaning against a nearby root, and closed his eyes. I watched him warily, waiting for his little band of fairies to come snatch me up or some other bad thing to happen. But nothing did.

"...What's your name?" I asked cautiously. He opened his silver eyes and looked at me with a look of both weariness and awe. "Tarren..." He murmured, before sarcastically adding. " 'Prince' of Willhollow...though, not much of one..."

I took a step closer, trying to evaluate whether it was safe. To be honest, I wasn't getting a hint of malice from him. Still I knew Nod and the other Leafmen would never trust him so I tried keeping my distance...

Of course, I wasn't a Leafman.

"Mary Katherine." I whispered. He looked up at me, eyes wide.

"What?"

"That's my name: Mary Katherine."

"Mary Katherine..." He almost whispered to himself, getting a feel for the word.

I rubbed my arm shyly. "Um yeah. But uh people usually call me MK. You know since it's easier to say..." He nodded and stood up.

"Right...Listen-"

"Why are you guys here?" I cut in. I had about a thousand questions floating around in my head, but this was the most forward, so I started with that.

"We've been looking for someone... and we think that someone might be you." He said as he started towards me. I began backing up, holding my knife towards him.

"Listen buddy, we are literally three minutes from Moonhaven. If you try _anything_, all I'll have to do is scream and for your sake, you'd better be a fast runner if I do."

He laughed. "Well if you've got the personal bodyguards nearby, why the knife?"

"So I can finish off idiots like you when I run into them." I said, smirking. Of course it was a complete lie. I probably wouldn't be able to kill a bunny if I had to, but the threat still sounded convincing.

He smiled, but it only remained a moment, before he became serious again.

"Listen Mary Katherine, I understand now that you have _no _idea who I am, or what's going on, but my men and I are running out of time. We believe you are the only one who can save our home in Willhollow."

"And that's by going with you, right?" I finished. Tarren nodded.

"Well I'm sorry but that's not going to happen. I'm not going to leave my home..." I trailed off, turning towards Moonhaven.

Tarren groaned, running his hand through his hair. Then he turned back to me. "We don't have _time _left Mary Katherine. We need to have started back by now, but we can't leave without the Lady of Destiny... Please, let me just _show _you-"

He reached and grabbed my wrist and I suddenly turned, holding the knife to his throat. He began backing away but I got him pinned to the trunk of the bush.

"If you _ever _touch me without my say so again, you're gonna regret it, okay?! Just because I'm not driving this stupid thing into you right now doesn't mean I _trust_ you!" I said. His eyes were wide and his arms rose yet again.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He said, trying to defend himself, but I was pissed at this point. How dare he?!

"I have half the mind to call for the Leafmen to chase your tail right outta here!" I said. "I don't care how much trouble you're in! I'm not the girl you're looking for and you're going to _leave me alone!"_

He paused for a moment, before looking me right in the eyes. "I can prove it! I can prove that it's you!" he said.

I looked at him hard for a moment or two, before loudly sighing in defeat, and backing off. Knife still drawn, I took a step or two back and crossed my arms, challenging him.

"Alright them. Prove it"

He suddenly dove his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out the letter from the other day. Then he held out to me a worn piece of paper. I inched towards him, and snatched the paper away, before stepping back again and taking a good look at it. My eyes widened and my mouth fell open.

It was...Me?

It sure _looked _like me at least. Something was off though, besides the fact that I would stick pins in my eyes before being caught in a dress. The girl in the picture just looked... different. A little more mature maybe. But it couldn't be denied that it looked _exactly _like me. I turned back to Tarren, and held my knife up.

"Where did you get this?"

Tarren shook his head. "Drop the knife first."

"But-"

"Nope. I don't tell until I have the knife."

I sighed, but eventually set the knife down and kicked it towards the boy. He picked it up and stuck it in his belt, before sitting down. "I'm warning you it's a long story..."

I walked over to a root and plopped down. "I've got time. Now spill. Where did you get a picture of me?"

With that, Prince Tarren told me the story of his life in Willhollow, including the death of his mother and father, him being forced to rule the kingdom, his twentieth birthday, and the secret letter foretelling the impending doom of Willhollow.

Then he began telling me the story of the Lady of Destiny.

"That's the woman in this picture?" I said, running my fingers over the pink and white petals on the dress.

"Yes. Centuries ago, the priest of Willhollow foretold a woman of immense power, who would come and save our home. The story goes that when Willhollow was in dire peril, the Lady of Destiny would come, united with the King's son (me), and rescue our home. That was her destiny, laid out years before she even existed."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with the world now? What 'dire peril' is your home in?"

"My mother, before she passed away, left me a letter that said without a queen to keep the life flowing in Willhollow, a fatal plague would strike the tree, and kill everyone and everything. I suppose it's similar to the queen of Moonhaven's power."

"So that's why you need m-...this lady? To save your home?"

The prince nodded. "And we need to bring her back and make her queen before my twenty first birthday, or the plague will take hold, and there will be no stopping it..."

Tarren looked down, and I felt a twinge of pity for this man. He had the weight of an entire kingdom's fate resting on his shoulders... and his supposed last hope, me, was turning him down. I felt the sting of conviction for knowing I was causing this kind of pain for anyone.

I looked down at the picture again. It couldn't possibly be me. I mean, Tarren said the woman possessed legendary powers! What power did I possess, expect being able to somehow steal the heart of the most incredible boy in the world...?

What would that boy do if he could see me now, with his peoples' sworn rival?

I sighed, and stood up. "Well Tarren, I'm sorry and I wish there was anything I could do, but this couldn't possibly be me... it just _isn't_ possible..."

Tarren stood up too. "Mary Katherine, I don't see how it _couldn't_ be you! I mean, I was looking for the girl in this picture, and believed she resided somewhere near Moonhaven. To find a girl that looked _exactly _like her, _**living **_in Moonhaven... How could it not be you?"

I sighed. "Tarren... I'm _sorry. _I wish there was something I could do but there isn't. I'm just an ordinary girl..."

"But-"

Suddenly, we heard a large crash in the distance, followed by the loud cries of soldiers, and both froze.

"Oh no..." I groaned

"My men must have run into yours!" Tarren said, as he picked up his sword. I ran over, grabbed his arm and yanked him towards the fight.

"C'mon we have to find out what's going on!" I said. I released him when I knew he was coming, and sped up, pushing past leaves and grasses until I stopped at the edge of a great field outside Moonhaven.

And boy was there a fight going down.

Tarren emerged right behind me and groaned. We both stood in shock for a moment, watching the both the fairy soldiers and the Leafmen lash out at each other, both in the sky and on land. It was brutal.

Suddenly, it dawned on me that I was standing here with the leader of the men who were attacking us. He had to run, or risk getting roasted on a spit, with my boyfriend leading the assault.

"Tarren, you need to get out of here right now. If Nod sees you with me, you're basically dead."

Tarren raised an eyebrow. "Who's Nod?"

Just then, we both heard a powerful war cry, and the boy in question tore through the sky on his hummingbirb, past two of the fairy men, knocking them off their birds. "Speak of the devil..."

"That him?" the prince asked, looking up where the boy was fighting.

I sighed. "Yup. My boyfriend..."

Tarren let out a choked breath, face frozen in complete shock, and I face-palmed. Nice going MK. Real smooth.

"Y-your _boyfriend?!_" he stuttered before, to my surprise, letting out a dry, humorless laugh. "She has a boyfriend...Figures, with the luck I've had so far."

I shrugged sheepishly "Just proves my point. I couldn't possibly be the girl you're looking for. But you seriously need to go!"

Tarren nodded, and was about head for the forest, probably towards wherever they had been hiding, when he suddenly cried out "Oh! Your knife. I almost forgot!" He turned and held out the piece of metal and wood to me. Right as my fingers wrapped around the hilt, I heard a very different yell, and cringed. This was what I was afraid of.

"MK!" Nod yelled, leaping from his bird and landing right in between us. I stumbled back, knife in hand, and landed in the dirt.

Without a word, Nod drew his sword and lunged at Tarren. Tarren quickly drew his sword as well and soon they were at it, slashing away at each other. All I could do was stand by helplessly, screaming at them to stop.

"No! Guys stop it!" I yelled over and over again.

The other soldiers from both parties had ceased fighting and now simply watched, as if the duel were some sort of reality show. Ronin landed nearby, but couldn't find a way to intercede. He asked me what was going on but I couldn't reply.

Suddenly, Nod knocked the prince from under his feet, and was about to slash him across the chest, when he got kicked back by the prince.

"Nod please _stop!"_ I yelled at the top of my lungs, but he didn't hear, and was starting towards the fallen prince. Seizing my last chance to save the blonde-haired boy, I jumped in front of Tarren to block him from Nod, and shielded myself with my arms when I saw him still coming.

Nod froze almost instantly when he realized I was there (Though I was literally _seconds_ away from getting impaled anyways), and dropped his sword immediately. I huffed, shaking slightly from almost getting stabbed. "Geez, is that _really _what to takes to get you to STOP?!" Nod just stood, starring at me with a confused and frustrated expression.

"MK, what the hell are you _doing_?! Move!" He said.

I let out a torn sigh, and put my hands up to try and calm him down. "Okay, listen to me Nod. I _know _you're kinda fixed on killing this guy, but I swear they didn't come here to take us on! They actually need our help to-"

Suddenly we both heard a scoff coming from Tarren. "_Their _help?" He said, picking himself up off the ground. "We need _your _help, Mary Katherine. As if we would ever go to _them _for anythi-"

I slowly turned towards the prince and glared at him until he curled back. "_**Really**_not helping Tarren." He smiled sheepishly.

"Wait, _Tarren?_ You _**know**_ him? MK what's going?" Ronin asked.

I sighed. "Look, will you just give me time to explain? They're not coming to attack us okay? They were looking for someone, and they think that it's me."

"No, I _know _you are." Tarren persisted. To which I angrily turned to him.

"Tarren will you please _stop_ with this?! I'm not her! And I'll do whatever I can to help you find her, but-"

And just like that, Nod grabbed my hand started pulling me away from the Fairy prince. "Oh like _hell _you are! You're coming back to Moonhaven with us _right now." _

I pulled out of his grip though, desperate to make him understand. "Nod wait!"

He turned towards me, and the look of anxiety and fear in his eyes froze me. He didn't care what the reason was; he just needed to get me out of here and away from danger. I sighed, and tried to message through my eyes what needed to be said.

"Nod please...They really need help... Just let them come to Moonhaven and explain themselves! I'm wondering if Nim might be able to do something for them." I said, thinking out loud a little bit.

Ronin took this chance to butt in. "If your men will promise to stand down, we can offer you shelter for the night, and give them time to explain themselves. It looks like storm's coming soon anyways..."

"Ronin-" Nod tried to cut in, but Ronin simply put his hand up, having none of it.

Tarren seemed reluctant, but eventually gave in. "Fine... But only for her." He said, looking at me. I saw Nod's eyes flare with anger as he stepped threateningly towards the prince. I placed my hands on his chest to try and hold him back.

"Stop, okay? That'd enough," I whispered. He simply took my arm and brought me back to his bird, never taking his eyes off Tarren...

* * *

**Ooooooooooh draaaaaammmaaaaa! XDD Yeah no this was a _super _fun chapters to write honestly. I liked the conversation between MK and Tarren, and it was all just really fun.**

**Hope i don't die tonight because of period symptoms and fail to update again... Ugh i have no shame... -_-"**

**I'm just gonna go now...**

**~ Macy **


	8. I Can't Lose You!

**Ooooooooohhhhh coffee. You're so good to me... 3**

**So here ya go! Chapter 8! Please read the memo at the end of the chapter though, because there are a few things I need to clear up. Nothing big but still.**

**Enjoy Chapter 8!**

**Chapter 8:**

**I Can't Lose You!**

_(Mk's POV)_

"Only you, Mary Katherine. _Only _you would manage to run into trouble the _second _you stepped outside. I KNEW it was a bad idea to let you go..." Nod growled, storming into a separate room in Nim's tree. Nim, Ronin, and the queen were with Tarren in the Queen's throne room, as he retold the story he had just told me.

I groaned. "Nod, it's _really_ not that bad! If I had thought there was any danger, I would've called for you guys! Honestly, he didn't seem threatening at all."

Nod let out an angry groaning yell and slammed his fist against the wall, making me jump. Then he turned right to me and started scolding me again.

"And that is EXACTLY why you shouldn't have been there! He's the Prince of Willhollow, MK! If he'd wanted to, he could've had you knocked out and had you on your way to Willhollow as a prisoner by now. He's _dangerous!" _

He turned away from me, rubbing his temples, but I walked towards him, frustrated with his attitude now.

"But he didn't, did he! In fact, I'm _fine!_ Look this whole thing is just a big misunderstanding on their part." I sighed, running my hands through my hair.

"Oh yeah, and what exactly are they misunderstanding?" Nod asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

I groaned, trying to think of a logical way to explain this. "I don't know, they're, they're mixing me up with some woman they need to bring back and save their home or something, I don't know!"

Then suddenly, I remember the picture Tarren had given me. It was still in my bag. I rushed over and searched around in the backpack for it while Nod continued some angry rant about ripping someone's hands off if they tried to touch me or something. Rolling my eyes, I finally pulled out the now slightly crumped piece of paper.

"See? This is who they're looking for!" I said, handing it to him. He snatched it away and looked. I watched as his eyes popped like a fish, and his mouth dropped open. I wondered if that's what I looked like when I first saw it.

"H-how...How did they get this?" He stuttered.

"It's not me, Nod. It's this 'Lady of Destiny' that they're looking for. They've been searching for her for months now, and if they don't find her and bring her back as queen before their year is up, their entire home is going to die."

"And... _that's _why they wanted to take you. You look...well you look _exactly _like this girl."

"Yes, and they expected this girl to be on board with their plan. That's why they just tried to take me away when I refused."

"Okay, well... it's not... it's not_ you_...Is it?" He asked, hesitantly. I rolled my eyes.

"Of course not! This chick is supposed to have like crazy, supernatural powers or something! Do I _look_ like I'm making it rain fireballs from the sky? It's _obviously_ not me..."

"Well then why haven't we just explained that to these guys?! Then they'll leave you alone."

I sighed. "Nod...I've tried. I told him that it wasn't me that he was looking for, but he _insists _that I am. He's tried to convince me that I am her as much as I've tried to convince him I'm not."

Nod shook his head, turned from me again. He pressed his forehead against the wall, while I looked over the picture, trying to see if I had ever seen someone around these parts that looked exactly like me

"...That's it." Nod suddenly muttered. I turned to him.

"What's it?"

He looked me in the eyes with a spark of resolution. "This is the last time you leave Moonhaven without me, Ronin, or another Leafman."

The whole room seemed to freeze.

"_...What?" _I spat through clenched teeth.

"You're not leaving Moonhaven. Like at all. I want those guys out of here as soon as possible and you are _staying here."_

My mouth fell open in absolute shock. _**"Excuse me?! **_Since when did you get the right to put me on _house arrest?!" _

"Look MK, I know how these guys act! They're not going to give up even when everything points against you. They're too stubborn!"

I scoffed. "Yeah, _reminds _me of someone!"

Nod shook his head. "Look, I know you hate it MK, but you can't go running around with these guys."

"Since when did you go all papa-bear status on me?! You're my boyfriend Nod, not my father!" 

"I'm not trying to be-!"

"Nod these people need help! Even if this girl isn't me, maybe there's something we can do for them?"

"I don't want you anywhere NEAR them!" Nod yelled at me. I felt the anger boiling up in me, and lashed back.

"I don't care WHAT you want! You don't control my life, all right?! I do! And right now I see a bunch of people who need _help!"_

Nod groaned frusratedly. "Look, I get that you wanna help them okay?! But you're obviously not the girl they're looking for so I don't want you around them!"

"And you're obviously not _listening_ to me! Why are you so against them?!"

"Because they can't be trusted! Especially that stupid blonde one..."

"Nod you don't even know him!"

"And you do?!" He challenged. I put my hands up in frustration.

"No, but at least I'm giving him a chance?! Being open about it?!" 

Nod shook his head furiously. "And that is _exactly _what is going to get you in deeper trouble."

I made an angry huff. "Well that's up to me to decide, isn't it." Then, I turned to leave, feeling too many waves of emotion crashing down on me. If this continued much longer, I was sure I was going to start to cry.

"MK, wait!" Nod said, reaching for my arm. I ripped away from his grasp and started towards him.

"What do you have against these people Nod?! Are you like jealous or something?!" I accused, feeling tears prick at my eyes, which was ridiculous. Why on earth would I be crying night now?

"No! I just-"

"Then what!? These people haven't done anything to-"

"These _people_ are the reason my father is _dead!"_ He suddenly screamed at me, and I my blood ran cold.

...What?

Breathing deeply, Nod plopped down on a nearby bench and rested his forehead in his hands. I simply starred at him...

I stood there for a moment not even knowing what to say, before walking over to where he sat and kneeling down to my knees in front of him

"N-Nod..." Was the ingenious word that eventually escaped my lips. He didn't look up, but began to speak.

"I was eight. It was during a bad fight with the Boggans. My dad was out with the rest of the men fighting, but it was looking really bad. I knew I had to do something..."

"Nod you don't need to tell me this..." I said, placing both hand on his cheeks. He wrapped his fingers around one of my wrists, and touched his forehead to mine.

"No... I _want_ to tell you. I want you to know..."

I nodded my head, and he continued.

"I heard Ronin say that we needed backup or we were toast. Knowing the soldiers of Willhollow were nearby on a scouting mission, I took off to look for them. It was pouring rain and I was terrified but I ran as fast as I could."

"Eventually I got to where their campsite was, but no one was there. I searched throughout the deserted camp, and just when I was sure they had all left, I found the king himself about to mount his bird with another little boy, about my age, maybe older..."

I let out a quiet gasp. "Tarren..."

Nod didn't reply, but I knew the answer was yes. "I asked the man where the army was, and he said that '_His _army, to be exact, was waiting for him to meet them around the bend and head for home.' I begged him to help us, saying that we were desperate."

"And do you know what he did?" Nod asked, looking into my eyes, which had let a tear or two fall. I shook my head. "He looked down on me in disgust, like I was some sort of pesky insect..."

I felt tears streaming down now. How could one man be so heartless? Towards a little boy no less? Even when he had one of his own...?

"He laughed at us, said that if the Leafmen were 'so tough, they could handle themselves. Then he left, without looking back once..."

"Nod..." I whispered.

"When I got back, I found out that we had eventually escaped the Boggans, but my dad...h-he was..."

He couldn't finish, his facial expression contorting into that of a broken man. I suddenly threw my arms around his neck, crying harder than the rain that pouring outside. Harder than it must've poured on that horrid night...

"I-I'm so_ sorry _Nod! I'm _so _sorry..." I wept into his shoulder. His arms, which had immediately wrapped around me when I jumped on him, tightened their grip around me, as though he were afraid I would slip away if he let go. To my surprise, he let out a choked laugh.

"Hey, it's alright...It was a long time ago..."

"But still...Oh that must have been _horrible." _I cried, squeezing tighter, trying to stop these tears. It was ridiculous. He was the one who had experienced such an awful thing. I should be comforting _him, _not vise versa. He pulled back though, looking me in the eyes.

"But now you get it, don't you. You understand why I don't trust them? Why I don't want them here?"

And I did get it. It made sense now. Real sense. How he seemed to grow the bitterest when someone spoke of Willhollow, how he had fought the hardest during their confrontation, and refused to listen to me. How he distrusted Tarren and his men so much, and didn't want me anywhere close to them, and how he didn't want to help them, considering they hadn't done the same for us...

"Yes, I get it." I replied, trying to stop the silent tears still trickling down.

"I can't trust them, MK. I just _can't... _and I can't lose someone important to me because of them again... I can't lose you..."

I pressed my lips to his, grasping the back of his neck with one hand, and gripping a handful of his shirt with the other. When we broke apart, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close to me.

"You're not going to lose me, okay?" I said, sniffing softly. "I'm right here.

He buried his head into my shoulder, holding me like a vise. I felt like I was holding a frightened child, and despite feeling pity for his pain, I felt grateful that he had opened up like this.

He often played the carefree, light-hearted boyfriend when he wasn't pissed or being stubborn. The fact that I was important enough for him to open up to just sent butterflies through my chest.

Eventually, he backed away, and smiled at me as he held me in his lap. "Okay, let's make a deal...I...will let you try and do what you can for these guys..."

I smiled, but he put a finger up to keep me from speaking. "There's more."

Of course. I shut my lip and listened.

"I'll let you try and help them, but if they refuse to listen to any idea except you leaving with them, that's it. We get them out of here. Deal?"

I sighed. I wasn't sure how this was all going to play out, but finding it better than lockdown, I agreed.

"Deal... But I'm not on house arrest anymore am I?" I said jokingly. He laughed, wrapping his arms around me.

"No...Although I will be keeping a closer eye on you..."

I smiled, nuzzling into his chest. "Don't you always..."

It was there, curled up in the arms of the man I loved, that I blissfully fell asleep, the last thing I heard before drifting off were the word

"I love you Mary Katherine..."

**Alright... **_**I've **_**got some explaining to do...**

**Now I **_**know **_**I probably wont be able to stop **_**someone **_**from commenting about this, but I have to say it anyways. **_**I KNOW that this isn't how Nod's dad didn't actually die this way!  
**_

**IN MY DEFENSE, I wrote this chapter in like june, after Epic had just come out, and I'd only gone to see it I think twice. So it wasn't until I got it on DVD (Which took **_**freaking forever **_**thank you very much!) that I realized they already explained where he had gotten killed... **

**But it's such a big part of why Nod hates the leafmen! I couldn't **_**change **_**it?!**

**SO I decided "Eh, it's **_**my **_**story! I can do what I want! DON'T JUDGE BROTHA!"**

**-_- I'm so delusional from being sick...**

**So umm yeah see you tomorrow...**

**~ Macy**


	9. For What Exactly?

**Well before i say anything else, let me just say HAPPY HALLOWEEN YOU GUYS! XD I went trick-or-treating with my best friend and little sister, with absolutely _no _shame. And i could feel the people passing out candy judging me too! I didn't care though. I was like "Hellz yeah I'm fifteen ****watchoo gonna do bout it?!" XDD ****But no it was fun.**

**Another thing I'd like to say is THANK YOU GUY _SO MUCH! _Honestly your guys reviews and compliments are _so _uplifting! They seriously make my day ^_^ Thank you guys for the support and loyalty to reading my story. You guys give me _way _more credit than i deserve ^^" **

**So to thank you guys for being so FREAKING AWESOME, and because it's Halloween, I'll be posting two chapter! _Again._**

**Let me warn you that although I've been posting two chapters a day _a lot _lately, i don't plan to make a habbit of it any longer. From now on it will be one chapter a day unless it's a special occasion.**

**Okay I've wasted enough of your time -_-"**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

**For What Exactly?**

(Nod's POV)

"So, Prince Tarren told us you have the picture of the Lady of Destiny. May we please see it?" Ronin asked MK, who quickly pulled out the paper she had shown me earlier.

Ronin, Nim, the Queen, and Mk were sitting with the prince of Willhollow, discussing their newfound information. I was leaning against the wood of the doorframe, stealthily glaring at the stupid fairy.

Ronin didn't seemed as surprised as I had been, probably cause he was expecting the resemblance more, or maybe because he was just Ronin.

I could see Nim bouncing in his seat like a child, dying to see the picture, and I guess I couldn't blame him. Nim Galuu was the guy who knew all the past. To find something of such great historical value that had eluded his grasp all this time, must've been killing him.

"It does bare _quite _a resemblance." Ronin muttered, and Nim groaned

"Just let me _see _it already!" He said, nearly ripping the sheet from Ronin's hands, but still being delicate with the aged paper.

"Wow...It really does look like ya kid." Nim said, looking at MK, who seemed to almost cringe at his words. I simply narrowed my eyes, knowing this was only boosting the stupid blonde's ego.

"But, it _obviously _isn't me guys." MK interjected. "I mean, she's supposed to have like supernatural nature powers and crap. The closest to magic I've ever gotten is simply getting here!" Mk said, but you could hear the questioning tone in her voice. She was trying to find proof that it wasn't her; she was trying to prove to herself what her mind kept telling her...

But was she right?

I mentally kicked myself. Of course she was right! The girl in this picture _couldn't _be my girlfriend...She just couldn't.

"I don't know MK...It _is_ mirror image of you." Ronin muttered.

"Well think about it Ronin," Nim cut in. "Kid's got a point. I think we would've seen some fireworks by now if she was who this guy says she is"

"_Thank _you." MK said in relief. "Finally, someone's making sense."

Tarren shook his head, "I'm sorry but I have to disagree. In all my time travelling and searching for the Lady of Destiny, I have not found a single person who resembled the image as she does, not a single person was a more perfect match."

"That's it.." I muttered, feeling anger boiling up in me. "You need to shut your mouth."

"Well, look who finally decided to join the party..." Ronin muttered almost to himself. MK sighed but I didn't care. This guy was getting on my last nerve.

"Look I don't care what you disagree on, but you might as well forget it cause she's obviously not your girl okay? She's _mine._" I said, glaring. He simply stared hardly at me, as if trying to figure me out.

Or figure out how to get me out of the picture.

Tarren stood up, staring me right in the eyes, and spoke. "Well I believe she is. And I can't return home without her."

"Well I guess you aren't going home then are you, cause there's no way in hell she's going with you." I stated.

"Nod." MK said sternly. My hard stare on Tarren didn't waver though. He wanted me out of the picture? So be it. Two could play at that game.

Tarren and I continued our stare-down for a moment longer, before the fairy boy spoke up again. "Alright then, I propose an idea."

"As long as it doesn't include stealing my girlfriend, let's hear it." I said in a low voice.

"I propose, that you give me two weeks. Two weeks to remain here with my men and rest. During this time," He turned to MK. "If I can prove that you are the girl in this drawing, then you will come back with me to Willhollow."

In a furious rage, I started towards the prince. The entire room boomed with sound as everyone rose from their seats, and I felt Ronin holding me back from ripping the guy to shreds.

"Nod, just get a hold of yourself." I heard him mutter in my ear but I wasn't paying attention.

"This guy is _crazy _if he thinks that-!"

"Nod, _**STOP IT!"**_ I heard MK shout, rather loudly even for her I might add, and everyone looked at her, freezing the room.

Taking a breath, she turned to Tarren, and calmly said. "I'm sorry Tarren, but I can't do that. Even if I am the girl you're looking for, which I'm _not_, I just couldn't go through with something like that."

Tarren sighed. "I wasn't _finished _yet."

Everyone sighed, and sat back down, except Ronin, who stayed standing with me in case I tried something stupid, which I wouldn't put past myself at this point.

"I won't force you into anything Mary Katherine." I hated the way he said her full name, like he had any place to. "But while I'm trying to convince you, we'll also look for anything you could do to help us, excluding the idea of becoming queen..."

The redheaded girl didn't speak, but seemed lost in though. This deeply unsettled me. "MK, you're not actually _considering _this are you?" I asked, noting the tone of almost desperation in my voice, and praying no one else detected it.

After a moment or two of thick silence, MK stood up and looked at Tarren. "Two weeks." She said. "We'll try and find a way to help you, and you can say whatever you want that you think will 'convince' me...and even if you're wrong, I'll do what I can to help you guys."

Tarren smiled, a smile that held much more than gratefulness for her cooperation. Clenching my teeth in anger, and feeling a small sting of betrayal, I stormed out of the room, feeling her sad stare boring into my back as I ran out of the room...

(Later...)

I sat up in one of the tallest trees by Moonhaven, and starred out at the sun. It's final rays of the day shone through the trees, filtering through the leaves and making it a more sparkling gold than before. I remember this was the view I would get when I went deer riding with my dad...

I looked away from the light and closed my eyes, wishing this fairy boy and his stupid pictures and letters and destinies would just go away, vanish the same way he had before, on that white bird with his father...

It wasn't going to work like that though. Not again. You could always count on the traitors to disappear when you needed them, and stick you in the side when you most wanted them gone.

I heard the rustling below, and already knew who it was. However, for the first time since she had come back to Moonhaven, I really did _not _feel like talking to Mary Katherine.

I felt the soft shudder of the tree branch as she landed on it. She had gotten better at jumping since I last seen her try. I didn't look at her, yet I could feel her stare boring a hole in the back of my head. Still, I didn't look at her...

"Shouldn't you be off looking for someway to go help the _fairies_?" I asked, sneering their name slightly. "Or better yet, let the prince try and 'convince' you that your destiny is to freaking _**marry **_him?"

She sighed apologetically. "Look... Nod...I'm sorry okay?"

"For what exactly?" I asked her, and I genuinely wanted to know... mostly because I wanted to see if it would explain why_ I_ was so bothered by it, beside the obvious. She wasn't going to stay with him no matter what, so it shouldn't have hurt me the way it did; it shouldn't have felt like betrayal...

But it did.

"For hurting you, I guess? I don't know..." She trailed off.

I sighed, feeling a sting in my chest, because it was that 'I don't know', that lack of sureness over what was happening, that hurt me the most. She didn't know what to think about all this, and Tarren was going to use that to his advantage.

"In my defense..." She suddenly added, almost under her breath. "... You did say I could try and help them..."

That crossed the line, as she feared it would, I could tell. I stood up and turned towards her.

"Yes Mary Katherine, I did say you could help. But that didn't mean accepting a deal where he has the possibility of _taking you away to Willhollow! _I told you if they refused to find another solution besides that, they were out, and you just walked right into their game MK. You walked _right _in!" I huffed, turning away from her.

"Nod, I told him I wasn't staying with him anyways! It doesn't matter! What, do you think I would...?" Then she trailed off, before gasping. "You think I'll change my mind don't you!" she suddenly yelled. I sighed and turned around.

"No, I think _he'll _change your mind MK. He's sneaky like that.."

She was too pissed to listen to reason though. "Do you honestly have that little faith it me?! I'm not some gullible fool Nod! If you think I'd just get swept off my feet by some guy I met freaking _two days ago_, you've got another thing coming!"

I groaned. "MK I don't-"

"No!" She cut me off though. "I don't want to hear it! And honestly, all jealousy aside, I thought you of all people would at least be able to put aside your feelings to help an entire city from being _destroyed!"_

I froze, feeling her words cut deep. She knew what I was about to say. _"They didn't show the same hand of generosity to us did they?" _But she never let the words leave my mouth.

"But whatever right? If you want to doubt me that much, go ahead! I've actually got some research to do anyways... Have fun with whatever the hell is going through your head Nod, 'cause I sure can't figure it out..."

With that, she leapt off the wood, and jumped from branch to branch until she reached the bottom. I simply starred after her, filled with regret and guilt but not knowing how to express it to her. It wasn't that I doubted her...I just didn't trust him.

Of course, that would sort of be doubting her as well.

I sighed, plopping back down on the branch, and causing a few leaves to tumble down. Running my hand through my hair, I looked back toward the light through the trees, which had started turning more red orange than golden, setting the trees ablaze. I closed my eyes as the breeze washed over me, and wished someone could guide me through this mess.

I looked up at the sky, and to no one in particular, I whispered.

"Please...Just tell me what to do..."

* * *

**Wow... not one of my better chapters... Whatever it'll get interesting soon enough.**

**THANKS AGAIN FOR THE SUPPORT! KEEP IT UP YOU GUYS, YOU'RE THE ONES MAKING ALL THIS WORTHWHILE AND I _SERIOUSLY _MEAN THAT!**

**~ Macy**


	10. It Was Always Him

**Alright guys here's the second chapter of the day. Wow can't believe i'm already like quarter of the way done!**

**Like I said, I'm still gonna stick to a chapter a day from now on, but I figure we needed to celebrate for Halloween.**

**One quick note though: this chapter **_**might **_**be a little strenuous at the beginning. There's a lot of talking and explaining and I totally know how not fun that can me. I've been there. **_**However, **_**it's necessary for the story to continue making sense, so just bear with me. **_**It gets better.**_

**So without further ado, I give you Chapter 10! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

**It Was **_**Always **_**Him**

_(Mk's POV)_

I coughed as I blew dust off the cover of an old brown book that Nim had told me to pull down. I had decided to help him look through the library for any leads to what might be happening to this Willhollow place, and what could prevent that, as well as information on the Lady of Destiny.

We had been searching yesterday and all of today though and hadn't found much. Now it was nearly two in the afternoon and I was on the verge of falling asleep while standing.

I climbed down the ladder leaning against the bookshelf, and as I handed the book to Nim, I asked. "So what exactly are we looking for now?"

He didn't reply though. Instead he continued muttering to himself, thinking aloud again. He had been doing that a lot lately.

"Nim?" I asked again, but he still wasn't paying attention to me as be set down a large gathering of papers and scrolls and started looking through them. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed a random book from the shelf, walked over to the table and raised it above the hard wood, before letting it slam against the desk. Nim jumped up, startled.

"Wah?!" He said.

"Earth to glowworm!" I stated, leaning against the table with my hands. "What exactly are we looking for? Direct information or stories? What's credible? I need advice here dude, I've never gone through history records before."

Nim sighed. "As of now, we need whatever you can find. I'm assuming that the predicament at Willhollow is similar to what would happen to us without our queen. She is the life of the forest, so if she was no longer here to keep that life flowing, it would eventually dry up and make the place weak."

That made sense to me. "Alright, but why do they need this Lady of Destiny in particular to keep the life flowing? What makes her so special?" I said as I picked up a book the scholar had grabbed and started skimming through pages.

It was all legends and folklore of the area, stretching all the way from the tales of Willhollow, to stories about Stompers and their experiences here. There was _very_ little in that particular area, besides some coming too close to the castle and having to be driven away.

Some voice in the back of my head wondered if_ I_ would ever be written down as a story in a book like this? Was my adventure in Moonhaven worth the ink the paper?

"Well," Nim said, drawing me back to the real world. "What I'm more curious is why this only started affecting Willhollow now. If the queen were to die here, the effects would be immediate, and this plague should've already wiped out the place."

"Well maybe the queen was just powerful enough to keep the life flowing for a while after she was gone?"

"Well, that's close to my theory, but what I believe is that she didn't keep it flowing, but dam it up. Look at this." He said, before handing me the scroll he was reading. It was extremely old, more than a couple centuries, and as I read, I discovered it was the record of a queen's ruling and passing many years ago.

"Okay well what does this have to do with us? And what do you mean she dammed it up? How do you even do that?"

"By doing what she did," Nim said, tapping the scroll in my hands. "I know it's possible because this queen attempted it many years ago, and with pretty crappy results. You see, by cutting off the flow of magic through the forest, one can build it up in certain places, and cause the place to thrive, similar to damming a river."

I thought about this for a moment. It seemed to make sense. "Alright I follow. Wait, what about beyond the dam, when the river runs dry?"

"I was getting to that. See, this queen's pod shriveled before it could bloom, due to poor keeping. Desperate to save her kingdom, she made a sacrifice: Using the majority of her energy, she cut off the flow of life beyond her kingdom. The outskirts of the 'dam' dried and withered into a lifeless wasteland, while Moonhaven flourished."

"But this plan backfired when, at the next choosing of a queen, the dam metaphorically speaking, burst. The energy barrier finally couldn't hold up against the strain anymore, and collapsed, causing the energy to all leave at once, if it hadn't been for the efforts of the new queen, Moonhaven would've died away too..."

"Wow..." I whispered, thinking about how horrible that must have been. It almost seemed worse because the queen's intentions had been so good...

"So... basically, you think the queen of Willhollow put up a dam?" I asked.

Nim nodded. "Though not one that would last a hundred years. That's why she could pinpoint the exact time that the sickness would take hold."

"That does make sense" I mussed. "But that doesn't explain why they would need this one specific girl to become queen afterward."

"I have a theory for that too." Nim grinned.

I rolled my eyes. "Of course."

"I believe that they need the Lady of Destiny, because whoever becomes queen will need to have the strength to try and either contain all that built up energy, or try to filter it slowly through the cracks, both of which would take an awful lot of strength and precision. The Lady of Destiny would fit perfectly, not to mention Willhollow's prophecy about her fits perfectly as well."

"You're amazing Nim..." I smiled. My comment probably wasn't helping his ever-growing ego though. Still, he made no added remark, and continued looked through his papers.

"Still, we have very little information on the Lady, which is a huge inconvenience. If we knew more about her or her power, maybe we could figure out a way to mimic it somehow and keep the tree going a bit longer?"

"Well since I don't do so well with books and stuff, why don't I go talk to Tarren and see if he knows anything else?"

Nim gave me a stern look. I rolled my eyes. "Nim it's fine. If he tried anything I could probably break his arm if necessary."

"I don't know kid. Guy's tougher than he looks."

"Whatever. Point is I can handle myself. I'll see you! Tell me if you find anything new!" And with that, I was out the door and on my way to where Tarren and his men were staying.

"Mk!" I suddenly heard someone call. It was Ronin.

"Hey." I greeted the general. "What's up?"

"Do you have any idea where Nod is? He didn't show up to training which is strange."

I raised an eyebrow. Ronin huffed. "As of _recently _it's strange. Have you seen him?"

I rolled my eyes. "Nope, haven't seen him since yesterday, and I honestly don't plan to _anytime_ soon..." I stated harshly, before walking towards the guy's camp again, my feet making a more dramatic stomp than was probably necessary.

"Oh boy...What's wrong now?" the General asked, although by the tone of his voice, he already knew.

"Nothing, it's just this whole thing that Nod's being ridiculous about! He just needs to grow up a little and quit with the whole jealous thing..." I muttered, not stopping. Ronin simply followed me.

"Well...to be honest Mk...He's not being _that _ridiculous."

"You're kidding right?" I said, cutting him off. "You're taking _**his **_side?! Aren't you supposed to be the rational one here?"

"Well yes, but I'm also a guy and know what he's going through, and his emotions and-"

I stuck a finger up, cringing internally. "_**Just**_skip the boy lesson and explain why he's being such an ass, when this_ really_ isn't the appropriate situation for his stubborn attitude."

Ronin rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how to word the explanation, and I, growing impatient, began tapping my foot. _**"Well?"'**_

"Well..." He began... "Okay, Willhollow's fate aside, imagine if this were just some random guy with no time-sensitive duty, trying to hit on you. How do you think Nod would react?"

I groaned. "Yeah, I know Ronin, it's the typical boy response to a someone messing with their girl, but this particular situation-"

"Is no different in Nod's mind." Ronin cut in, stopping my train of thought. "He doesn't see the fate of Willhollow, or the prince's duty, or anything else. All he sees is another guy trying to steal his girl."

I turned away again. "Well that's stupid and immature, and he needs to get over it." And without letting Ronin say anything else, I headed off.

Though from behind me, I was pretty sure I heard him mutter "And she calls _him _stubborn..."

I rolled by eyes. Well I was right! Of course some part of my brain, probably the loving girlfriend part, totally got how he was feeling and why he was acting the way he was, but the rational side told me that people's lives were at stake, and despite the awkwardness and ridiculousness of a total stranger expecting me to marry him just because I happened to look like a girl in a picture, I knew I had to do what I could to help these people.

Eventually I reached where Tarren and his men were staying. Most of them were lounging around, throwing rocks in puddles and laughing at each other as they talked.

The only one who appeared to be doing anything worthwhile was a guy about Tarren's age, with hair black as an oil slick, and dark blue eyes, like the sky right before dark. He was practicing knife throwing against the makeshift target he had carved into a tree trunk. I decided to approach this one, since the others were eying me rather suspiciously.

"Umm excuse me?" I said quietly but clearly. The black-haired one turned to me, and his eyes lit up in recognition, before he slightly bowed. His wings twitched softly in reaction to the movement. "Oh hello Miss. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Blushing at the formality, I stuttered out. "Oh umm well I'm uh looking for Tarren. I need to ask him some questions about well, you know, your guys'... problem?"

To my surprise, the boy laughed a very genuine, sunny laugh, which was something I wasn't expecting from his very professional stature.

"I should've figured you were looking for him..." He smiled to himself, before recovering his professional demeanor. "Prince Tarren went in that direction a while ago, to think he said. I believe he's still there."

I smiled. "Alright. Thank you..." I trailed off, realizing I couldn't remember the boy's name, though I'd heard it before during the "almost-kidnapping" incident.

"Jason." He finished.

My smiled widened a bit. "Thank you Jason." And with that, I headed towards the grove where he said that Tarren had gone. It didn't take me long to find him, lying beneath a tree.

It wasn't until I had almost reached him that I realized he was asleep, the faded, old envelope sitting next to him. Not wanting to disturb him, I attempted to tiptoe back, but accidentally broke a twig beneath my clumsy feet. His eyes fluttered open, silvery blue and sparkling like the sea.

"Sorry." I said, mentally kicking myself. "I was going to come back later, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's fine." He said as he stretched out, still groggy from sleep. His wings fluttered, as if waking up themselves. "How can I help you?"

"Okay, so Nim and I have been working in the library, and we think we have a theory as to what's been going on back at your home."

This seemed to wake him up pretty quickly. He sat up straighter and perked his ears. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well, you see...May I sit down?" I asked.

"Sure, of course!" he said, patting the grass. I lowered myself and sat cross-legged, before continuing. "Well, Nim looked through some of our old history scrolls, and found out that many years ago, our queen created a sort of Magic dam, because the pod that was used to choose the next heir withered."

"Basically, she plugged up the flow of life in Moonhaven, to keep it thriving long after she was gone. Later on, right after the next queen rose up, the dam theoretically 'burst' and almost destroyed Willhollow, but that's not the point. The point is that-"

"You think my mother did the same thing to Willhollow." Tarren finished my sentenced. I nodded.

"Yes, but on a smaller scale. That's how she could pinpoint when her dam would burst, and your home would start to die. And you would need a very powerful queen to try and readjust the land after the all that energy had been clogged up. That's why she requested the Lady of Destiny. Plus her prophecy fits perfectly. That's the theory anyways..."

Tarren considered this all for a moment. "Well it seems logical enough..."

"Yeah," I persisted. "And we might be able to use this information to help your home, but we'd be more effective if we had information about the Lady. That's what_ I_ came for."

He sat up straighter, almost formally. "Alright, what do you wish to know?"

"Anything, everything, anything you have to tell us. Nim says we have little to no info on this girl."

"Well, personally I had always thought her to be just some old story." He began, pulling the picture of the Lady out and handing it to me. It still freaked me out how similar we looked...

"My mother used to tell tales about the Lady of Destiny before bed. In the stories, the Lady of Destiny was an extremely powerful heroine who would rush to the rescue of Willhollow when it was being attacked by enemies or dangerous creatures of the forest."

I smiled. "Well isn't that cute?"

Tarren rolled his eyes. "Yes, adorable. But back to the story. It wasn't until later that I learned more of the history behind the Lady of Destiny."

"She wasn't always the Lady of Destiny you see. Originally, she was actually the very first queen of Willhollow; a queen of extraordinary power and ability. Her name was Jennora, and her gifts stretched from giving life to the forest, to be able to level it in one sweep. She was incredible..."

"Yeah, _totally _sounds like me..." I mumbled under my breath. Tarren apparently heard it though. He just rolled his eyes, deciding not to go into it, to my relief.

"_Anyways, _the story goes that when we were once attacked by a great dark magic in the forest, the Lady sacrificed herself to save Willhollow, and that one day she would return to rescue her kingdom in great need again."

I knew I was supposed to be gathering information for Nim, but I had to stop him there. "Okay, hold the phone. So now, not only am I some supernatural chick with all sorts of crazy abilities and nonsense, but I'm also a _reincarnation? _I mean, you've got to be joking!" I said.

Tarren sighed. "I _know _it's you Mary Katherine. The evidence fits perfectly!"

"Yeah, everything _except _me! I mean look at me! Do I look like I could take out an entire evil force? I can barely keep my boyfriend in check..." I muttered, falling back into the soft grass and staring at the sky, which had begun to grow cluttered with clouds.

Tarren made an "o" with his mouth. "Boy issues?"

I sighed. "_Oh_ yeah. You should probably apologize to me cause it's mainly your fault." I said, sprinkling my tone with sarcasm. He just laughed.

"Yeah, well I'm sorry I even have to go on this crazy quest, but I do. I had to find this girl, and now that I have, she won't even listen." I sat up.

"No, you're looking for _her_, not me." I said, showing him the picture.

"Mary Katherine, this _is _you. I mean, just _look _at the two of you! It's an exact match..."

Feeling his eyes gazing into mine, I looked down, feeling a blush creep into my cheeks. Trying to change the subject, I muttered. "Why do you always call me Mary Katherine?"

"Why not? It's your name isn't it?" He said as continued staring. The warmth in my cheeks intensified, and I internally cursed myself.

"Well it's just that MK is a lot easier to pronounce, you know? And it sounds a lot cooler than _Mary Katherine._"

I froze as Tarren's finger suddenly twirled around a stray lock of my hair that had fluttered in the wind. "I think Mary Katherine's a pretty name..."

Then he carefully tucked the rosy strands behind my ear, brushing my cheek softly as he did, and I felt a shock wave run through my body, strange and beautiful and wrong. This shouldn't have been happening! But there was nothing I could say or do. It was like the shockwave froze me, and made me incapable of fighting it.

Instead, I forced a flinch, and his hand withdrew, his eyes turning away. "Sorry,"

"S-sure..." Was all I could muster as a reply. We sat there, trying not to look at each other for the longest time it felt, before I suddenly felt a drop of water hit my nose, then my shoulder, and more and more fell. It seemed to melt the paralysis we were stuck in, and I stood up.

"Oh shoot, we probably need to get inside. And _you_ need to go tell Nim everything you just told me. I... I need to go find my idiot boyfriend and try and talk some sense into him..."

Tarren laughed curtly. "Alright, I'll see you then..." And with that, we both walked back to Moonhaven, him heading to his camp, and me heading back to the Leafmen. By the time I got there it was pouring rain. I couldn't believe it. It was summer wasn't it? It wasn't supposed to rain like this for months.

I got back to my place, already pretty wet, and simply grabbed my grey hoodie before heading back to the Leafmen's training area. I need to talk to Nod and try to sort this out. Despite him being an idiot, I was being pretty stubborn too...but I still needed to try and make him understand...

I got to the training camp pretty quick, but I didn't see anyone, which was typical considering it was raining cats and dogs. I hurried inside the gym-like building, but no one was there either. This _was_ strange because even on rainy days, the Leafmen were usually still hard at work.

Suddenly, I heard the loud flapping and calls of men out on the landing deck, and rushed out. There I found Ronin and the men helping a small squad who had just flown in on their now sopping wet birds. This unsettled me because the men weren't supposed to be flying in rain like this.

As I walked closer to Ronin to ask him what was going on, I heard one of the men report to the general.

"I'm sorry sir. We searched as far as Rider's Point but we couldn't find him."

I froze, before scanning over all the men on the deck.

_Where was Nod?_

"_Damn_..." I heard Ronin mutter, before rubbing his temples and thinking.

"Ronin what's wrong?" I asked, my voice barely above a whispered. I tried putting the idea away. Nod rarely hung around the training base when he didn't have to anyways. Who was to say he wasn't at my place looking for me now? Besides, they never said it was him missing anyways. It could be anyone...

Ronin looked me in the eyes when he heard my voice, and they were full of worry. "Mk..." He trailed off though, not knowing how to continue. My heart was hammering in my chest. _It couldn't be him, it couldn't be him, it __**couldn't be him.**_

"Ronin what's going on?!" I nearly yelled, the anxiety eating away at my brain. He finally let out a broken sigh.

"...Aparently...Nod left Moonhaven about two hours ago, for training he'd said, but he hasn't returned yet. I sent a search party to look for him but as you can see, they haven't located him. Mk...With rain this heavy, he could be in serious trouble..."

It felt like ice was running through my veins instead of blood. My eyes widened, my mouth opened to speak though no sound came out, and I felt the air literally get sucked out of me.

_It was __**always **__him..._

* * *

**AAAAHHHH CLIFFHANGER! XD I don't think I've done one of those yet! Well not a real one anywasy. What do you guys think is gonna happen?! Is Nod gonna be okay?**_** AGH TENSION! **_

_**Guess you'll have to see tomorrow! XD Until then.**_

_**~ Macy **_


	11. Well That Sucked

**...I know, **_**I suck. **_**But hey in my defense I had my homecoming game tonight and was super tired. But it was fun. We kicked the other team's butt and I got to hang out with this cute guy the whole evening. ^_^ yay me!**

**Anyways, this chapter seems like a pretty long one, so I hope that makes up for posting at almost freaking one in the morning. **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

**Well **_**That **_**Sucked**

_(MK's POV)_

"Ronin you _have _to let me go!" I yelled, fighting the Leafman general as he held me back.

"MK you barely know how to fly a bird, much less through rain. Even _we _don't risk it in this kind of weather!"

"But he's _out _there, he _**needs me!**_" I practically screamed, feeling tears in my eyes.

Ronin flipped me around to face him and held me by the shoulder. "MK, it's not going to help _anyone _if you go out there and _drown! _Okay?"

I just looked down, pinching my eyes shut "He has to be okay..." Ronin put his arms around me in a comforting hug, while I cried.

"T-This is all my fault!" I cried. "If-if hadn't yelled at him, he w-wouldn't have gone..."

"Hey, it's not your fault kid. He's gonna be fine..." Ronin whispered. "Nod's a strong soldier. He can take care of himself, and he _definitely _wouldn't want you putting yourself in harm's way."

He let me go and I smiled at him, though it didn't quite reach my eyes. Despite wishing my dad were here to hold me, it was nice to have someone to go to.

"So what do we do?" I said, trying to stop the tears, though a few stray ones persisted to run down my cheeks.

Ronin sighed. "I think the only thing we can do is keep a close eye out and wait or the rain to let up. If we try and send another group out they'll never make it back...

I looked down, feeling the tears coming back. That was it? That was all we could do? I just felt so _useless, _especially since it was my fault in the first place...

However, instead of saying this to Ronin, I just nodded.

"It's probably best if you go get some rest MK. We'll do what we can, but you can't help if you're exhausted." He replied.

"Alright...If you find him tonight, wake me up the _moment _he's back here." I said sternly. He laughed, though there was no humor in his voice.

"Naturally...We'll see you tomorrow MK."

I waved goodnight, and began heading back to my room, but I couldn't imagine sleeping, and I couldn't imagine being alone right now. I'd probably end up crying all the liquid out of my body. Instead, I passed my place, snuck over to Nim's tree, and climbed up to the balcony.

The cover was drawn over so the balcony itself remained dry; something I was quite thankful for. I starred out at Moonhaven, being drenched in a foggy blanket of rain. Beyond it, creeped the gloom of the forest. My boyfriend, my Nod, was lost somewhere out there.

I sat out on the balcony, crying on and off and doing a lot of thinking. If he wasn't back by morning, I was going to go look for him... No, I couldn't. Ronin was right, if I tried to find him out in that, I was doomed.

But then...wasn't he too?

I shook my head vigorously. Of course he wasn't! He was a leafman! He knew how to handle these types of situations...

Finally feeling the waves of exhaustion wash over me, I headed home, changed into a pair of navy blue sweats and grey tank top, and climbed into bed, feeling aged and weak. Right before I drifted off to sleep, a single wish fluttered off of my lips.

"Please be okay Nod... _please..."_

_(Nod's POV)_

_Wet..._

_Cold..._

_Why is it so cold?_

_Wait..._

"Ugh..." I moaned and I groggily sat up. Where was I? What the heck happened? As I sat up higher, my head suddenly banged into a piece of wood, and as I fell back in surprise and pain, the events of last night suddenly rushed back to me.

I looked around, and realized I was inside a hole in a tree, but how on earth had I gotten there? The last thing I remember was my bird going absolutely nuts in the rain, me getting knocked off, and blacking out. Had I fallen in here my accident?

I went over to the entrance and looked out. As expected, it was still pouring, and my bird was long gone. This was bad. I had to find a way to get home soon. I was sure MK was already flipping out, and probably blaming herself in the process. She did that a lot...

I looked down at the ground, and saw that half the forest floor was already flooded, not to mention with the fog and water, I had no idea where I was anyways.

I groaned. "Great, just great..."

I decided to try sitting out the rain and see if it would lighten up, but soon it was about noon and the rain was still coming down as hard, if not harder than before.

Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to try and make it at least to someplace I recognized...

Carefully, I climbed out of the hole in the tree, and clung tightly to the branch outside it as giant raindrops battered me. I glanced down and saw a large ravine flowing rapidly towards a pond.

Wait...That had to be the water outside Moonhaven. I wasn't that far off after all!

If I got closer to the ground, I could jump into the water and have a softer landing. I couldn't do it from up here though, and even then, the stream could easily drown me if I wasn't careful. It was my only option though.

Stealthily, I jump down to the next branch, wrapping myself around it to keep from falling. It was slick with water and difficult but eventually I made it close enough to jump.

"Well here goes nothing..." Taking a deep breath, I leapt into the air and fell down into the ravine. The moment I hit the water, I was flying down the river at insane speeds, with absolutely no control. I tried to reach the surface for air, but all I could do was tumble beneath the current. I finally got up for a breath of air, before being shoved down again.

This went on for almost a mile it felt, before the river finally calmed. I sputtered as I resurfaced, and grasped the first solid thing I found; a fairly large stick drifting down the river. I sighed.

"Well, look's like I'm stuck in another mess. What else is new...?" I trailed off though, because several yards ahead, the water dropped off the edge.

I was headed for the edge of a waterfall.

"Oh boy! Ahh!" I muttered , trying desperately to find a way to the shore or at least away from the tumbling wall of water, but the current was still too strong. I was screwed.

"Damn it!" I screamed at a loss of what else to do. MK was going to kill me when I told her about this...

With nothing left to do, I closed my eyes as tight as I could and whispered her name over and over again. I was going to survive this and I was _going _to get back to her...

_(MK's POV)_

"Ronin there are river waters _pouring _into the lake. If the village gates remain open it'll flood the city." One of the older Leafmen reported to Ronin. We were sitting in the throne room with the Queen, Nim, and a couple village representatives who were informing us of the damage the flood had caused.

Ronin cursed under his breath. "We'll have to close the gates off..."

I gasped. "We can't! It's the only way for Nod to get back in! We have to keep it open for him..."

"Girl, if those gates stay open, the entire settlement's gonna be wiped out. There's already too much water as it is." A soldier spat at me. I glared daggers at him and he curled back.

"Hey I don't want to lose a fellow Leafman as much as the next guy, but we have a duty to Moonhaven, to keep the people here safe. Nod would want what's bes-"

"Shut up!" I screamed. "You don't know _what _he'd want!"

"And _you_ do Miss Stomper?!" The Leafman retorted angrily.

"Woah!" I suddenly heard a familiar voice, and turned to see the prince of Willhollow rushing in to split up our little jive. It was good timing too cause I was about ready to hit the guy.

"Ronin just tell this guy that he's crazy and that we aren't closing that..." But I trailed off when I saw the expression on the general's face. Heartbroken, but set with a decision.

"Mk-"

"No..." I whispered.

"Mk we have to do what's best for these people." Ronin said, and you could hear the pain in his voice. "...Close the-"

"NO!" I screamed, tears pouring out one more.

Ronin let out a painful sigh, looking away. "Close the gates..." he muttered.

I covered my face with my hands as I continued to cry. My Nod was trapped out there now, and if this rain didn't let up, he would drown all alone out there. Who was to say he hadn't already...?

My sobs echoed around the room, but despite the sound, everything seemed covered in a sad silence.

"Is that boy still trapped out there?" Tarren asked. I nodded, looking up. "Tarren I don't know what to do..."

"Come here." He said, holding his arms out. Some voice in my head told me it was wrong, but I needed the comfort. I rushed into his arms and continued to sob.

"Tarren, I can't lose him! I _can't!" _

To my immense surprise, the blonde boy smiled. "Well you're not going to."

I sniffed, and leaned away. "W-what?"

"If there's _anything _I've learned about this Nod of yours, its that he's ridiculously stubborn, especially when it comes to you."

I chuckled, despite the pain in my heart. "Yeah people seem to notice that a lot..."

Tarren laughed. "I don't think he'd let something as trivial as a little rain keep him away from you."

I smiled, though the voice in my head told me it was in vain. "Thank you Tarren..."

"Anytime..."

Suddenly, my eyes widened, and I rushed from the throne room, across the streets that weaved through the village, all the way to the gates. They were already halfway through closing. I filled my lungs with all the air I could, and let out a final cry.

"NOD! YOU'D BETTER COME BACK TO ME YOU IDIOT!"

The doors shut, with the loudest and most profound shudder I'd ever heard...

(Later...)

Night had fallen over Moonhaven. The rain had fallen at it's absolute hardest a while back, and was now fading into a gentle mist... Feeling numb over the closed gates anyways, I simply wandered around Moonhaven, more towards the training hall might I add, but who was keeping track?

I considered heading back to my room, but I knew I'd never fall asleep tonight, knowing he was stuck on the outskirts of his own home, or possibly hurt, or...worse...

I closed my eyes to fight back tears. I'd done enough crying tonight, I told myself. If Nod were to see this, he'd think I'd gone soft...

Sighing, I was starting back for the dorms when I heard a clattering sound of doors in the bird stables, and decided to check it out. I could feel that false sense of hope, that _maybe _it was him, but I knew I was just kidding myself. How could it be? Ronin had shut the gates...

I sighed as I opened the stable doors. I knew he had a duty to his people, and that it hurt him too, but those order, those three little words, stung more than any knife or arrow could. Nod put his faith in Ronin, but Ronin had let him down.

Or maybe, he'd just let _me _down...

The stables were quiet and depressingly empty, save for couple younger birds in the back playing around, including my little sparrow. I sauntered over.

"Hey, cut it out you guys. It's time to sleep now..."

I began to softly run my fingers over the sparrow's head, feeling the contrast of the feathers on the solid beak.

Sighing once more, I whispered. "I know how it feels...Not being able to sleep..."

A few fat tears rolled down my cheeks and dripped off my chin, landing on the tip of the bird's beak, Seeming to understand that I was upset, she nuzzled her head into me. I laughed, but it didn't reach my eyes.

"...Where is he, huh?" I said, the slightest hint of humor in my voice as I ruffled the bird's feather. "Where did he go to...?"

Then, a sad thought occurred to me.

"What if he's still mad at me? Or at Tarren? What if he doesn't want to see me when he comes back...?" I whispered.

Then I laughed to myself. That was ridiculous. My most important worry was whether he even _came _home, not whether he'd want to see me...

Suddenly, the stable doors crashed open, and a tall, mucky figure stumbled in, leaning against the opening door for support.

"Well _that_ sucked..." He muttered under his breath, shaking his dripping hair out, before saying out loud. "And you h-honestly thought _I _would be the angry one? Maybe you're not f-feeling so well yourself?"

My eyes widened, tears still running down in blobs of saltwater. I couldn't move, or speak, or breathe, or function as a normal human being. I could only stand and stare as a statue would, frozen by every thought rampaging through my head?

How had he gotten through the gates?

Where had he been?

Was he hurt?

Was he mad?

Wait...What was I doing?! He was _here!_

And he was shaking vigorously, and looked almost blue. What was wrong with him?!

"N-Nod! Are you okay?!" I said, rushing over. He nodded. "Y-yeah I'm just...I-It was _really _cold out there." I suddenly realized he was probably frozen solid.

In a blurred hurry, I had him sit down on a barrel nearby, ran over and grabbed a couple clean towels from the cabinet, before draping a couple around him, and using the last to dry off his hair. That was when my anger returned to me, and in a rush, I began blurting out the first things that came to my mind

"Are you absolutely _insane?! _What the _**hell **_did you think you were doing out there huh? You could've _so _easily drowned or fallen or had _**something **_happen to you, and I'd never have known or been able to help because God himself was pouring out his wrath on Moonhaven, **LITERALLY!"**

"Mk I know just-"

I wasn't really listening though. "I mean, I get that you were mad at me and you had every right to be, but you didn't have to go get lost in a freaking flash flood! I mean how much more irresponsible can you _get?!"_

"Mk-"

"No you listen to me right now! You are in huge trouble mister! Ronin had to shut the gates because of the floodwater! How were you planning to get back in here?! How _did _you get back in here? Are you hurt? Are you mad? Why-"

"Mk!" He finally yelled grabbing my shoulder. I froze. We stood for a moment or two, before a shaky, crooked smile showed up on his face.

"...It's really good to see you..."

Just like that, I broke down. Tears pouring out of me, I wrapped my arms around his torso and buried my face in his chest. He sighed, pulling me closer.

"That feels good..." He sighed, almost dream-like. I just continued to cry.

"I-I'm so sorry Nod. I'm so,_ so _sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like I did, a-and this was all my fault!" I sobbed.

"Wait a minute..." He said softly, pulling me onto his lap and looking me in the eyes. "How on _earth _could this possibly be your fault?"

I sniffed. "B-Because you wouldn't have dashed off like that if I hadn't gotten mad at you... It was all my fault, and I thought I was never gonna see you again..." Then I buried my face in his shoulder. I wanted to keep crying, but there were no more tears left.

Eventually, I felt the rumble of laughter in his chest, and I looked up.

"Okay how on _earth _is there _**anything **_funny about this?!" I yelled. He just laughed more.

"Nothing, it's nothing!" He said, a smile on his face. I raised my eyebrow, and he just laughed more, hugging me.

"We're both just too stubborn for our own good..." He mumbled, and I laughed. He did have a point.

"Yeah. If we keep this up, we'll probably end up getting ourselves killed..."

Nod smiled. "There's that slightly morbid sense of humor... So you feeling better now?"

I sniffed, a soft smile on my face. "Sure I'm fine... But what about you?! Where the heck were you?!" I suddenly screamed.

"Well...I went out to the forest for some flying practice, and it started raining, and I got knocked into a hole a tree, woke up, jumped into a ravine, almost drowned over the edge of a waterfall, and made it back to Moonhaven."

I blinked a couple of times, swallowed back the enormous screaming rant that almost poured out of my mouth, and instead asked calmly. "How did you get back inside? The gates were locked."

He smirked. "Secret hiding hole on the east side of the gates. I found it years ago, and it really comes in handy for sneaking out of Leafmen training."

I sighed, closing my eyes. "Nod you are easily the _craziest _nut-job I have EVER known..."

"Yeeeah...But now I'm _your _crazy nut-job, so you probably should get used to it."

I just curled back into him. "Yeah, as long as you at least _try _not to get yourself killed next time you do something stupid."

He just chuckled. "As you wish milady..."

* * *

**So i know I'm not even close to the end of this story, but I'm wondering what you guys would think about a sequel maybe? I mean it wouldn't be here for a _WHILE _and I haven't even started thinking about a specific plot, but i like the idea of continuing one day... Who knows? Tell me your thoughts in the reviews and how you're liking the story!**

**~ Macy**


	12. Perfect Sense

**...Well i really don't have anything to say for this chapter... that's weird, i usually always have something to start it off...**

**Whatever you guys probably want me to shut up so you can read anyways. XD well here ya go!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12:**

_**Perfect**_** Sense**

_(Nod's POV)_

"...Okay, let me get this straight. So now, not only you this incredibly powerful queen girl whose supposed to marry fairy boy, but you're the _reincarnated _incredibly powerful queen girl who's supposed to marry fairy boy?"

MK simply nodded her head, smiling sheepishly. I sighed angrily and lay down on my back. "Well that just makes _perfect _sense..."

Mk decided to explain everything that had happened in my absence, during a walk in the woods, which I didn't mind. It was the first alone time we had spent together since this whole incident with Willhollow began, and it was nice just being with her.

Well were now sitting on a large flat rock by the river. Mk was leaning back on her hands, closing her eyes as the breeze rushed over her, tousling the ruby-colored locks of hair. She looked beautiful...

"I know. It's absolutely insane, but he's dead set on it, and he says he's gonna prove it somehow."

I just scoffed. "Yeah, I don't think so."

MK gave me a stern look. "Nod, I know it's all stupid and inconvenient, but you know he's only doing it to save him home."

I let out a humorless laugh. "Uh huh, somehow I _seriously _doubt that's the only reason."

She just rolled her eyes. "Well it doesn't matter because it doesn't affect me. I'm not her, and one way or another, that'll be made clear to them soon enough."

I laughed, rolling over and laying my head in her lap. She smiled softly and began to gently play with my hair while speaking softly. "This is nice... Just being here, without worrying about all this drama..."

I smiled, and suddenly noted something as I reached up and twirled a stray piece of her hair around my finger. "You've been wearing your hair down a lot lately."

She shrugged indifferently. "Yeah I guess. What about it?"

I shrugged in response, slightly mocking her. "Nothing. It looks really nice..."

She blushed at my compliment, and I brushed my hand against her cheek, feeling the flush of warmth beneath her skin. It seemed to grow warmer as my fingers lingered against her face.

We sat there for a moment, not speaking out loud, but in some way knowing exactly what the other was thinking. She was portraying how scared she had been of losing me. I was telling how afraid I was for the same reason...

After maybe an hour or so longer, we decided to head back to Moonhaven to see what was up. Mk insisted on trying to help those stupid trespassers, and I needed to catch up on training since my little mishap in the woods. However, our plans were slightly sidetracked

"AAAAAHHHHH!" We suddenly heard the distressed call from Nim Galuu's tree. Looking at each other gravely, we suddenly made a dash for the tree, bursting through the wooden doors.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" I asked urgently, look around, Mk, just stood stricken with terror, pointing in the direction of the desk and bookshelf. I looked where she was point, and my jaw dropped in absolute horror.

"YIPPIE!" the fat glowworm yelped as he danced around the room, doing something between a cha-cha and some sort of...jiggling thing. It was by far the most disturbing thing I had _**ever **_seen in my entire life. It took me a minute or two to actually be able to function again. Mk merely rubbed her temples, as if trying to massage the image from her brain.

"Well..." She eventually mumbled. "I probably could've gone through the rest of my life without seeing that..."

I laughed. "Uh...Yeah. Ronin what the heck is happening here?" I asked the irritated general, who was sitting in a chair, eyes shut, trying to ignore the cries of the joyous glowworm. Right before me could answer us, Nim threw his arms around mine and Mk's shoulders, and cheered.

"I'll tell ya what happened kid, I FOUND IT! HAHA I found it, I founnnd, I founditfounditfooouuunnnddit! AWW it's a good day to be me! _Woopee!_" and he began dancing again, causing me and MK to fall over.

"Uh, found what exactly?" MK asked exasperatedly, trying to dust herself off. I was about to stand and help her up, when I caught sight a certain, blonde-haired idiot headed our way, and sighed.

The prince laughed. "Are you alright?" He asked Mk humorously. She grinned, nervously, glancing at me shortly. "Um yeah."

Without another word, Tarren grabbed her hand and helped her up, pulling her _way _closer to him than I was okay with. I jumped up, my face feeling hot, but she backed away turned, giving me that look. _Be nice._

I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms over my chest. Mk turned back to the boy. "So can _you _explain why a large yellow glowworm just tackled us to the ground?" She said, laughing..

"Well, I think he just found the answer to our prayers." He answered. Mk's eyes lit up.

"Did you guys find the real Lady of Destiny?! Or at least find out where she is?" the redhead asked excitedly. Tarren laughed, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Nim climbed up on the desk in triumph. "No, but it's the next best thing! I found an entire volume **ALL **on the fabled 'Lady of Destiny'! This thing has _everything, _from the characteristics of the former queen, to the abilities she would have now! And it even says "prophesied to be located by Moonhaven in the summer of the 700th year!"

Tarren laughed, looking towards Mk with a _much _too friendly look, and it only made me glare harder at the two. Neither seemed to notice, which bugged me more than it probably should have.

I sighed. Mk wanted me to at least _try _and be understanding. Besides, maybe I was overanalyzing the whole thing anyways?

"Oh..." Mk trailed off, looking extremely uneasy. Tarren took her hands.

"You see? It _has _to be you!" He said with _way _too happy of a tone. I knew I wasn't overanalyzing _that_.

With just two or three steps, I was in between the two; glaring so hard I was surprised my eyes didn't catch on fire. The guy backed up, but held a more resigned look, like he understood my position, but wasn't going down without a fight.

Good news was that I wasn't either.

"Guys _really?! _Ugh I give up..." Mk sighed, throwing her hands in the air in pure frustration, before stomping off towards Nim to see the book he'd found.

Meanwhile I continued to stare down Tarren. I kept waiting for him to some sign of intimidation, or fear, or even a hint of cockiness. _Anything. _However, he remained as stoic as ever, and it _really_ pissed me off.

"Look your _highness, _you _really _need to back off okay? No more of your stupid delusions." I threatened in a low whisper. He remained resigned, and calmly replied.

"Could we talk somewhere a little more private?"

I scoffed. "Fine by me." The less witnesses the better. The last thing I needed was Mk getting on my back when I knocked this guy's lights out.

I didn't really have any opinion about trying to help a bunch of low-life, trespassing fairies, but when one of them started messing with my girlfriend, it crossed the line. I didn't care how high the stakes were for Tarren. I was _not _losing her to him.

We headed outside, and ended up under the shade of a canopy by a table and some chairs.

I plopped down on a chair, and kicked my feet up on the table. "Alright fairy boy, what was so important that you had to drag me out here?"

Tarren sighed, deciding to ignore the comment. "I just want to make a few things very clear to you." He said, sitting down at the chair across from me. I perked up. He sounded pretty serious.

"First of all, I have absolutely nothing against you, or even the Leafmen. I never really understood the stupid feud we have anyways, and maybe when I'm king I'll try and make amends."

I snickered. "Okay, if you want to go talk peace-treaties with any of us, I'm _not _the guy to go to. Go find Ronin if you're that interested."

Tarren groaned. "That's not the point! The point is that none of this has _anything_ to do with you."

I took my feet off the table, and looked him in the eyes. "Then what is it about? Mk? Cause she sure as hell isn't interested."

"No! This is about my country. This is about an entire kingdom of innocent people who are going to die do you hear me? _Die! _And the only way to save them is the Lady of Destiny, Mary Katherine."

I stood up, looking down on the prince in fury. "You listen to me, okay? We are doing whatever we can to try and help your stupid home, but trying to take my girlfriend away is _crossing _the line."

"I understand it's ridiculous, but Nod...You don't know what this is like, ruling an entire kingdom of people who depend on you!"

I scoffed. "Oh yeah I'm sure it's_ so_ difficult..."

"It is when you had the entire kingdom thrust upon you at the age of fourteen. Both my parents were _dead _by then, and I had to-"

"Both my parents were dead by the time I was eight." I cut him off, before quietly adding. "And half that's your father's fault."

Tarren's eyes widened as he looked up at me, surprised. I didn't blame him. Suddenly though, he stood up, and took _me _by surprise. By letting out a humorless chuckle.

"So you _are _the boy we met from the woods that day. I always wondered why you looked familiar to me..."

My eyes widened now. "You remembered?"

Tarren let out a bitter laugh. "I remembered the _night, _though that's probably 'cause it was one of the last, and few, things my father and I ever did together. He died soon after, close to when my sister Jennora was born..."

"My dad died the night I found you in the camp." I said, and he looked at me, with a look of true surprise now: surprise and guilt.

"Nod..."

"If your father had shown even the _slightest _shred of sympathy towards us, maybe he wouldn't have been killed...Or maybe it wouldn't have made any damned difference. I don't know, but to be honest I don't _care_. The point is you guys never did either..."

Tarren looked down, looking completely ashamed. "Well...at least now I know you have a right to not want to help me..."

I shook my head, really pissed by now. "That's not even why! My father's death is the reason I won't help _them; _Willhollow or its army. The reason I'm not helping _you _is because... well..." I trailed off, unsure whether to continue. I knew this had to be said though, as a last attempt at stopping him.

"... Because Mary Katherine is _mine _okay? She's not some Lady of Destiny who belongs with anyone else... So, you need to _stop_. Go find whoever this real Lady of Destiny is, and _please_...just... Leave Mk out of it..."

Tarren looked horribly guilty, which I had intended for him to feel. It was the only way to get him to leave her alone...

Suddenly, a spark lit in the prince's eyes. He had realized something.

"... You're afraid aren't you." He stated. I stepped away from the winged blonde boy, taken aback by this idea. What did he mean I was afraid?

"Excuse me?" I asked, irritably.

"You're afraid that I'm right, and that Mary Katherine _is _who I've claimed she is, and more than that... you're afraid that if she is, she'll choose me, and Willhollow, over you."

I stood there, staring at the boy for a long time, unable to speak. Mostly because what he was saying was almost true. I _was_ afraid. I was afraid that just when I thought my life was going to get better, I was going to have its very center ripped away from me.

I had continued denying it throughout this whole mess, saying it couldn't _possibly _be her... and yet, the more I tried to deny it, the more I feared that it might be true. That Mary Katherine's destiny was to marry a prince and live in this glistening forest kingdom.

I felt that small sting of bitter irony inside my chest. Wasn't that exactly what Mk would deserve; to be a queen with a kingdom of her own? I remembered feeling a small hint of surprise when Queen Tara didn't make the stomper her heir, after everything she had done for Moonhaven. She deserved more than what she had gotten.

Maybe she deserved more than me too?

Tarren took my silence as a chance to speak again. " I know how important she is to you Nod. But my home is just as important to me. I haven family and friends and people who depend on me, so I'm not going home empty handed. "

This pissed me off more than anything else he said. "Okay who do you think you are?! She's not some trophy you get to bring home and show off to your stupid kingdom! She's not even the girl you're looking for! But if she was, do you really think I'd let you take her away and make her some little worker queen to 'bring life to Willhollow' for the rest of her life!? If so, you've got another thing coming!"

We were both right in each other's faces now. He had anger in his eyes now, and I smirked, because I knew how to react to that emotion. It was that resigned expression, like he felt threatened by absolutely nothing in the world that threw me off.

However, the flicker of anger died away, and he sighed. "Well, all things accounted for, this whole argument has been pretty pointless. In the end, it'll be up to Mary Katherine to choose."

"Stop calling her that!" I snapped. "And there's no choice to be made. She's not the Lady of Destiny, but even if she were, she belongs here, with me."

Tarren paused a moment, before the corner of his lip barely twitched. "You sure about that? Cause you don't seem certain to me.

My eyes widened, and I could think of nothing to say.

Tarren sighed, before walking back towards Nim's tree. I couldn't move, but instead continued staring into a world a thousand miles away; a world buried deep in my nightmares.

Mk looking at methe way the King of Willhollow had so many years ago, like I was just an irritating little pain, before taking the hand of the Prince of Willhollow, and being whisked away, right out of my reach...

Tarren's voice drew me out of my horrific daymare. "Nod...?"

I turned toward him, but did not reply. He continued anyways.

"Like I said, I really have absolutely nothing against you... But I care about my home too much to see it fall because you couldn't let go of something. I'm sorry..."

And with those finals words, be disappeared from sight, much like he and his father had on that rainy night. I had lost my own father because of his.

I was _not _going to lose Mary Katherine because of him.

* * *

**... Man I'm really good at making Tarren a total dick aren't I? XD it's ironic how i don't even realized what a douche wad he is until I proofread my chapters. Then I'm just like "Man i've created a _monster!"_ Lol i bet everyone's gonna hate him by the end of this story. XDD**

**I'm _almost _tempted to post another chapter today since chapter 13 is where shit goes _down... _But i made a vow to post one chapter a day (most of the time) and ima stick to it!**

**Lol guess you'll have to see what happens tomorrow!**

**XD Until then.**

**~ Macy**


	13. It Was Always You

**Quick Warning: this chapters SUPER long, like 4,000 words long, and **_**kinda **_**insane so just try not to blow up XD**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

**It Was **_**Always **_**You.**

_(Mk's POV)_

"I mean I really can't believe it!" Nim cheered, still in shock over his find. "This book really does have everything. And from what I've learned, the Lady does actually share quite a resemblance to you."

"Oh really..." I mumbled, trying to hide my small hint of worry from Nim. He didn't seem notice me or realize he was worrying me; he was so wrapped up in his discovery. Apparently the book had been locked down in a hidey-hole, deep in some dusty corner of the tree. It must have been overlooked he said, but he'd found it nonetheless.

"Yeah! The description of Queen Jennora is quite similar to you, and the prophecy does talk about Moonhaven and the Leafmen. It even mentions something about stompers!"

I sighed, closing my eyes and trying to clear my head. None of this meant _anything_, I tried to convince myself. It was still impossible... It had to be...

Suddenly, an idea flashed in my brain, and I perked up.

"Wait Nim, there's still a problem!" I said a little too cheerfully. He raised an eyebrow.

"And that is...?"

"The Lady of Destiny's still supposed to have like legendary powers right? Well I've never done any sort of magical thing in my entire life! So _ha!"_

Nin's eyebrows furrowed as he considered this. "Well you've got a point there kid. It never said anything about a lack of power, only a surplus of it..."

"Well there you go! Guess it can't be me, so I'm just gonna-"

"Hey, wait kid..." Nim cut me off, and I could tell by the tone of his voice what he was going to say. I took a deep breath, before turning around.

"Nim I really don't-"

"Mk." He stated firmly. I sighed, and sat down.

"Now listen, I know you highly doubt all of this, but... Kid you gotta look at the evidence. Things seem to be pointing' towards you right now. And I know you want to try and find a way to prove it wrong; a lot of us do. But, if by any chance, you are the Lady of Destiny, then-"

"No!" I said, standing straight up. "It's not me Nim, okay?! I'm not some legendary, reincarnated, fairy queen! I'm just me, Mary Katherine, the stomper. _That's __**all!**_"

And with that, I stomped out the door (no pun intended), leaving Nim standing there in the tree.

It was absurd! There was no way in a million _years _I could ever be any of this! It had to be someone else's problem...

My life had just begun to become simple again!... Well, as simple as life for a two-inch tall girl living with a tribe of Leafmen and flower people in the forest could be. My relationship with my dad had never been better, and I had the perfect guy, living in this beautiful little world! Why did these people suddenly have to come in here and turn everything upside down?!

I sighed, deciding to head towards the gates to the outside. That was what I needed right now, a little bit of fresh air.

I walked past the gates, around the lake, and eventually (to my great irritation), ended the patch of grass where I'd run into Tarren those two times. Why on earth did I have to end up _here _of all places? These were the exact kind of memories I was trying to _clear _from my head.

Huffing, too tired to leave now, I plopped down in the center of the clearing, lay back in the swaying soft grass, and watched the clouds drift by. It was funny. Despite me being the size of a bug, they didn't really look that much bigger than before. Everything else was huge in comparison, but the clouds seemed to stay the same.

That gave me a little bit of hope. Despite all these things changing, and feeling like my entire ex_istence_ was in question, I had to believe that there were some things that would always stay the same. Like my feelings for Nod, or my place among the Leafmen and people of Moonhaven. I knew I belonged here, and I couldn't let this prophecy change that.

I just couldn't.

I suddenly heard rustling in the brush nearby, and sat up immediately. I swore, if I ran into another group of strange people coming to take me away, I was literally going to murder every last_ one_ of them. But as I stood up and got a closer look, I realized it was the leader of the last group who tried to take me away. What was Tarren doing out here?

I watched as he continued to stroll through the forest. On his shoulder he carried a leather satchel of some sort. I was about reveal myself and ask him what he was doing all by himself, when I realize he was probably out thinking just as I was. I wouldn't have wanted to be disturbed either, so I decided to make a discrete exit. Only... It didn't turn out being that discrete, as I accidentally stepped on a dead leaf on the forest floor.

Tarren suddenly turned towards my direction, a knife suddenly appearing in his hand.

"Show yourself!" He demanding in a strong, threatening voice; the voice of a leader. I jumped out so not to misguide him.

"It's just me!" I said, hands in the air. He let out a sigh of relief, before sticking his knife back in it's sheath. "Oh. Just you."

I smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was just going to leave you alone..."

He smiled in return. "No it's fine. I'd actually like some company..."

Shrugging indifferently, I walked over and we began just strolling through the woods, talking about anything and everything not relating to the Lady or the sickness in Willhollow, or any of those problems. We just talked about ourselves and different random things. I told him about my life back home as a stomper with dad and he told be about his life with his sister, Jennora.

"Like the queen in the story!" I suddenly remember him telling me before. He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I think my parents thought it would be good luck to name their daughter after the legendary hero..." Then he suddenly trailed off, before letting out a bitter laugh. I raised an eyebrow.

"I guess it didn't work out so well in that sense, considering...My dad passed away soon after she was born..."

My breath hitched in my throat. "Tarren... And then your mother later...?" I barely whispered. He simply nodded, a sad smile on his lips.

"Tarren... I'm sorry..."

"It's alright. It was a long time ago. Or at least... It feels like a long time ago..."

We didn't speak for a moment or two, before I suddenly blurted out. "If it makes you feel any better, I sort of know how you feel. My mom passed away awhile back too..."

"Oh. Well I'm very sorry as well."

I shrugged. "It's fine..." And it wasn't completely honest; I still really missed her. However, with the discovery of Moonhaven, my patched up relationship with dad, and Nod to help me along, it had gotten much better. It didn't really hurt to think of her anymore. It just made me sad.

We walked in silence for a while longer, before he suddenly slowed to a stop. I turned, looking back at the prince, who was now staring hard at the ground, as if contemplating something.

"What's up?" I asked. He waited a moment or two, before suddenly stepping towards me and looking me straight in the eyes with a look of determination.

"Listen...Okay if I wanted to show you something, but couldn't tell you what it was until we got there, would you still go?"

I blinked, trying to process this for a moment. "Umm, I _guess?_"

"Then can I show something?" He asked, holding out his hand. I paused for a moment, realizing what this was about, and simply starred at the hand that begged for mine.

Somehow...I knew that this was going to be the turning point, where either I was going to prove once and for all that I _wasn't _the Lady of Destiny, or...

Or the fate of an entire kingdom was going to be placed in my hands.

I mentally shook my head. I mean there was just no _way. _There _couldn't _be! He had to be wrong...

Suddenly, I realized something. Something that had been holding me back from this problem for so long, and causing such unrest about it.

I had been telling myself it wasn't me for so long, that I had nearly closed off any openness to the idea that he _could _be right, and that I might be the Lady of Destiny; this reincarnated queen of incredible power. I had literally locked my heart off from the idea, so that even when so much evidence had been placed on the table, I had been able to deny it all.

I realized, that perhaps if I had opened my mind to it just a little bit, maybe I would've started to realize it was possible...?

This was what I feared though. I feared the possibility. I feared that if he was right, my entire world was going to crumble again, _right _when I thought it was going to finally cement itself.

I feared this so much that I subconsciously ejected it from my frame of mind, and therefore caused the possibility to try and force it's way in.

Now I had to finally face this idea I had avoided so long. If I said no, I might have bought myself a little time, but sooner or later, I was going to have to face it. Wouldn't it be better for Tarren and his men to finally know that I wasn't the girl? Wouldn't it be better for me to know if he did turn out to be right...?

I wasn't sure if it would make things better, but I _did _know that I had to try.

After taking a deep breath, I nodded and reached for his hand. He smiled, before pulling me deeper into the forest, to a place I hadn't been before. He went deeper and farther and just when I thought he was going to say something to me, I was suddenly blinded by light.

When my vision cleared, I felt my entire being freeze. Before me was a small clearing, with the trees arching over it like a dome, and a large pond in the center. Light filtered through the leafy canopy almost like a liquid gold flowing to the ground and water. The entire place glowed with life.

"Tarren...This is beautiful!" I exclaimed, slowly turning as I took in the scenery. "How did you find this place?"

"Umm well it's actually a historic landmark for people of Willhollow. Pretty isn't it."

"Uh yeah, but why did you want to bring me here?" I asked, knowing it wasn't just for the scenery. He sighed, before taking my hand again and pulling me towards the pond

"I want to see if I can test your powers."

I raised an eyebrow. "My _powers?"_

Tarren nodded. "Yes. If I can find a way to 'wake them up' per say, I can prove that you are the Lady."

"Okay...but if you can't...?"

"Then... you're not the Lady of Destiny, and... we'll continue searching I guess..."

I heard the small rise of panic resonating in his tone. If I wasn't the Lady of Destiny, he would have to continue searching with absolutely no other leads, and he didn't time left for that.

I sighed, unable to determine which outcome I'd prefer. "Alright. What kind of testing are you planning on?"

"Follow me." He said, and led me to the edge of the water. It was clear as a crystal, and I could little minnows swimming around in the water, though at this size, they were big enough to swallow me whole if I got to close.

"Many centuries ago, when the people of Willhollow use to travel by Moonhaven more often, this place was known as the Lake of Ages. It was supposedly where the queen would practice using her powers. She was a controller of all elements, and able to manipulate the earth, greenery, and water, much like your queen. She also had many other powers used as weapons and such, but let's just try and figure out these for now."

Despite this recent growing sense of seriousness, I still rolled my eyes, probably out of habit at this point. "Oh sure, let's see if the stomper girl can make the trees grow."

Tarren rolled his eyes in response. "Yes, let's. All right now I want you to focus on the water. Feel how it flows..." He said, kneeling down and placing his hand just on top of the water, and running it over the top as though running it over a soft fabric.

Realizing he wanted me to mimic, I knelt down and copied him. It felt soft as silk, different from an average water pond. Probably because it had been used for magical purposes of some sort.

The place was completely silent, save for the occasional soft breeze, and Tarren's breathing. "Now," He whispered. "Imagine the water rising out of the pond, in a sort of ribbony stream... raise your hand up, as if coaxing it to rise, and feel the energy rushing through the water..."

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and raised my hand slowly, trying to will the water to rise, trying to feel whatever energy Tarren was asking me to try and feel. I didn't sense a thing, and I felt ridiculous.

"Tarren this is stupid! It's not gonna do any-"

"Try! Just keep trying, that's _all _I'm asking, just...to try." He asked, and I could hear the desperation. For his sake, and the sake of Willhollow, he had to be right. For my sake, and Nod's sake for that matter, he had to be wrong. No matter what happened, this was never going to end well for all of us.

Still I had to know the truth...whatever it was.

I tried countless more times, each making me more frustrated. For what reason, I wasn't certain yet. Probably because the more I tried, the more chance Tarren had of being right... Still, as many times as I tried, nothing changed.

Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore. "Tarren it's not working okay?" I said, standing up. "I'm sorry..."

"No... No it _has _to be you! You're just not trying hard enough. I can't be wrong..." He muttered, going into total denial.

I sighed, knowing this must be hard on him. I didn't know what he was going to do, but that small, selfish part of my heart felt a twinge of relief. I wasn't the Lady of Destiny.

Still...What was Tarren going to do next?

I sighed. "Tarren... I _am_ sorry... But there's nothing more I can do..." I said before, before turning and walking back towards Moonhaven, leaving the blonde fairy standing by the water, whose small waves lapped at the muddy bank.

I was about to reach the edge of the clearing, and march back into the woods, when I suddenly heard a voice.

"_Mary Katherine..."_

"Huh?" I said, turning around. "What'd you say Tarren?"

The sad prince looked surprised. "I didn't say anything."

"Hmm. I could've sworn I heard..."

"_**Mary Katherine..."**_

I froze, a strange buzzing feeling rising in my stomach. "I though I ...?

"What is it?" Tarren asked, sounding slightly worried, but also anxious.

I took a step back into the clearing, underneath a beam of light slipping through the leaf canopy above, and closed my eyes, listening for the voice again. My skin felt warm and tingly, and as the gentle breeze swept over me, I swore I could hear singing.

A girl singing...

Suddenly, I could see it too.

Tarren had disappeared, and instead, there stood a young woman, with long, red, wavy hair. She wore a beautiful dress, one-strapped, cream-colored, stitched bodice, with a skirt of gold petals that smelled strongly of roses. She was kneeling by the pond and dragging her fingers through the water, singing some sort of lovely lullaby. I blinked in shock.

We looked so similar, she could've been my sister...

Heck she could've been my _twin..._

But I knew who she really was...

Even though it seemed completely impossible, I _knew_ it was her. I took a step forward, rustling the glass beneath me. She looked up at me, with bright green eyes. It was like looking in a mirror ten years from now. Only she was a lot prettier than I'd ever imagine myself to become.

The Lady of Destiny walked towards me, placed a soft hand on my cheek, and whispered four words in my ear.

"_It was __**always **__you." _

Then just like that, I saw a flash of light, and staggered back, gasping.

I was suddenly looking back at Tarren, in the clearing. The Lady was gone, but the electricity her presence brought was still running through me. Without speaking, I walked past a baffled Tarren, towards a small vine sapling sprouting from the ground, and knelt down before it.

Closing my eyes, I raised my hands at my sides, hovering just over the ground, and closed my eyes, remember her words. _It was always you..._

Suddenly, I raised my hands high up over the sapling, as if beckoning it up, and it responded. A whoosh of energized wind rushed throughout he meadow, and the vine began to grow rapidly, stretching up towards the sky in a flash of golden and green light, before other vine branches twists out, creating a giant plant overhead. White flowers budded all over, and glittering dust emanated from them, making the entire clearing sparkle.

When the dust and sparkle settled, my eyes opened, and I let out a ragged breath, before jumping up and looking at the thing I'd just created. It was beautiful, soft whites and greens. It reminded me of Queen Tara...

"I knew it... It's _you" _Tarren whispered, almost in shock himself. As he began to slowly walk towards me, the truth suddenly began to settle into my head, and I backed away, my heart starting to race. He froze.

"N-no..." I whispered. This couldn't be happening...

"Mary Katherine-"

"Don't you 'Mary Katherine' me right now! This is completely _impossible! _I **can't **beher Tarren!"

"Mary Katherine... Look at what you just _**did**_... It _is _you. You have to know that by now..."

I took another step back, my breath going ragged. "But... It just can't..."

"I know it's hard to accept, but it's the truth! You are destined to come with us and save Willhollow."

"NO!" I screamed, finally cracking. I stomped towards Tarren, who was now backing up himself. "I don't care _who _I am, or what you think! I belong here in Moonhaven with Nod and Ronin and the Leafmen! How can you expect me to just run off and freaking _marry _a man I literally met like a week and a half ago?! I'm sorry pal but that's _not _gonna happen!"

This actually angered Tarren, and he started lashing back, something I'd never seen him do. "Do you think it's any different for me?! Do you think my ultimate life's goal was to have to travel for possibly an entire year, hunting for some random redhead and take her back to_ marry_ me?! Do you think I was ready to give up the rest of my future for this?! Well I've got news for you, that's the last thing I ever wanted! I don't having a freaking choice though now do I!"

I froze, taken aback. I had never really seen Tarren angry before, and it made him much scarier than I would've thought possible. I remembered saying before that I could've broken his arm if he ever tried to mess with me, but that didn't seem so likely anymore.

"When I assumed control of Willhollow, I gained the trust and dependency of an entire kingdom. What kind of a king would I be if I had to return empty handed, with the only news being that we were all going to _die?! _I have to save them Mary Katherine, and I can't do that without you...and now you _know _I'm right." He said firmly, and I suddenly became aware of how close our faces were.

"Tarren, I just..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say anymore. I wanted to back away, and try and slow things down for a moment, but he was right there, and I couldn't make myself move. His eyes trapped me there.

"Just trust me..." He whispered, starting to ever so slowly move forward. I froze even stiffer, trying to make my body move away. It was like my brain wasn't connected to the rest of me though. It was horrible...

I was completely stuck, and I was _pretty _certain he was going to kiss me. I pinched my eyes shut, praying he wouldn't...

Suddenly, we heard an angry cry that broke the hypnotic lock on both of us. We turned and looked up, only to see Nod jump in between us, yet again.

"That is_** it**_ your _highness. _I told you to _**stay away!" **_Nod screamed, sword now drawn. Tarren backed away, obviously not wanted trouble. Still, his hand rested on the hilt of his own sword, just in case.

"Nod, _listen. _Mary Katherine and I just-"

"Don't _CALL HER THAT!" _Nod finally snapped, raising his sword and bringing it down on the prince, who pulled his own sword from its sheath and blocking the attack. Then, just like that, they were at it.

The clash of swords echoed through the trees as the prince and the Leafman battled each other. I could only stand on the sidelines and try to yell at them to stop, not that they were listening. It was just like the first time they fought...

Suddenly, as Nod brought down his sword, Tarren slashed it away, knocked Nod to the side, before kicking his down a small hill. I screamed.

"Guys STOP!" But they didn't hear. As my boyfriend reached the bottom and groaned, I reached my hand towards him, and I heard a splash of water. I looked towards the pond and saw that the water had risen, just as Tarren had tried to make be do before. I raised my hand again, to test it, and it rose higher as well!

I knew what I had to do. As Tarren rushed down the hill and passed me, I watched Nod jump up and rush towards him, letting out a war cry.

Quick as a bird, I jumped in between the two, and dragged my hand in front of me, dragging from the river a great wall of water, creating a barrier between Tarren and Nod.

Nod's cry died in his throat and he froze, eyes widening. I sighed, wishing I'd had the chance to actually _explain _this to him. His arms fell to his sides, the sword slipping from his fingers and clattering against the grassy floor.

"Mk..." He whispered. I motioned my hand towards the ground, and the water fell. Nod flinched softly.

"Nod I-"

"H-how did you..." He trailed off, before a light bulb went off in his head. I held my hands up, as if saying I had nothing. No answers. No explanation as to how, in this entire humongous world, it had to be me.

"I-I don't know, okay? I'm... I'm sorry..." and I trailed off. What was I supposed to say? _Well sorry, but apparently I __**am**__ the reincarnated princess destined to marry the prince of Willhollow and save the kingdom, so there are__** probably**__ going to be some conflicts to deal with._

I finally made eye contact with the Leafman, and was taken by surprise. I had been expecting anger or denial. The emotion I saw was that of brokenness...

It stung more than anger ever would have.

"Nod?" I whispered taking a step towards him. Without another word, he whistled for his bird, quickly mounted the creature, and zipped away.

"Nod!" I yelled, chasing after him a few steps. He was already almost out of sight though. I sighed, not truly blaming him for his reaction. This changed the playing field by a lot, because now Tarren actually had a foundation to his proposal. Legitimate evidence.

I couldn't just help him from the sidelines anymore. It was all or nothing. If I backed out, hundreds of people died, if I went with him, I was leaving behind my entire life in Moonhaven, and I was also leaving Nod behind...

No! I couldn't do that. But I couldn't let an entire kingdom be destroyed...

"Mary Katherine...?" I suddenly heard Tarren's voice, and felt his hand resting on my shoulder. I flinched, spinning around quickly. He curled back. "I'm sorry... Are you alright?"

I tried to reply with a "Yes, I'm fine," or "No, not really," or even an "I don't know!" but I couldn't will myself to form words. Instead I just backed away.

"Tarren I-I...I can't right now. I'm sorry, I just...I just need to be alone."

Tarren sighed, but understood. He moved to the side, revealing the way we had come, and I smiled sadly, before taking off into the woods. I ran as fast as I could, despite the twigs and brush scratching at my skin. I didn't care. I just had to get away from that clearing.

As I ran away from Tarren, I realized what I was truly doing. I was trying to run away from the Lady of Destiny, and all the responsibility that came with her title. I was running from Tarren and his broken kingdom; I was running from this apparent destined prophecy. Most of all, I was running from Nod, and the sadness that I had caused in him.

I began slowing and eventually stopped as I realized something else. No matter how hard or far I tried to run right now, I was never going to escape this. Hadn't I already proved that by trying with all my might to deny that I was the Lady of Destiny? Look how _that _turned out?

No, I had to face it this time. The fates of a _lot_ of people were depending on me right now, and even if I was afraid of losing my former life in Willhollow, I knew I had to try and do what I could.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and started on my way back to Moonhaven; towards my future, whatever it would be...

* * *

**... *****Nuclear Bomb Explosions. * You here that? That's the sound of your guys brains exploding! XDD Well actually you probably saw it coming anyways. Whatever there will be more plot twists to come, hopefully some you didn't see coming! XD**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	14. I'm Sorry

**Hey, you know what sucks? School. You know what sucks more than that? **_**Failing **_**school? And you know what sucks **_**most? **_**The fact that 1****st**** quarter report cards go out Friday and I have like three freaking D's because I'm a disorganized procrastinator... So yeah my life's officially over...**

**Just be glad I can even still update! -_-**

**Also, to you people who keep freaking out like "OHMYGOSH! This is MKxNod right?! PLEASE don't let Tarren end up with MK!" ... -_- Chill. I **_**really **_**don't want to spoil anything that happens later. Just take a deep breath and try to make it through these more... painful chapters. Please note that it's gonna get worse before it gets better, but everything. **_**Will. Be. OKAY.**_

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

**I'm Sorry...**

_(Nod's POV)_

_No...No it was completely impossible! _

I flew through the forest at speeds I wasn't sure I had ever reached before. The trees zipped past in blurs of brown and green, but I was hardly acknowledging them. It was probably pretty dangerous how fast I was going but I was beyond caring.

_The chances were one in a billion. Of every girl in this __**entire **__forest..._

"C'mon..." I muttered at the damn bird to go faster. I wasn't sure what was driving me to get to Willhollow so fast. Of course, maybe I just wanted to get _away _from that blasted clearing; to escape those sad green eyes telling me my worst fears had come true before her mouth even opened; to see that sad but relieved little look on Tarren's face...

_Damn it. _I could feel the awful ache in my chest. What if I lost her because of this...?

_Damn it all..._

I reached the gates of Moonhaven in record time, zipping into the landing dock much faster than necessary. Again, it was probably dangerous how fast I was going, but I didn't care.

However, to add along to my_ immense _good luck today, Ronin happened to be standing there on the landing dock, speaking with one of the other Leafmen. He had obviously seen me by now. I only glanced at him once, before climbing off my bird and stomping off towards... who knew where.

"Nod?" I heard Ronin's stern, questioning voice behind me, but I didn't stop. I wasn't sure where I was going, or where I wanted to go. Nowhere seemed like a safe place to escape to, and then I realized there was no safe place left. No matter where I ran to, the truth was still going to follow me.

"Nod wait!" Ronin persisted.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted, not turning towards the general. He continued to follow me though.

"Nod what's going on?"

Finally snapping, I turned around. "Alright Ronin, you wanna know what's wrong? The prince of freaking Willhollow was right!" I screamed, freezing the general in his place. As he slowly understood what I was saying, his eyes widened, and I turned away, trying to hide the fury boiling up in my eyes.

"Nod...I'm sorry-" He placed his hand on my shoulder, but I tore myself away.

"_Stop!_ I don't want any freakin' sympathy!" Then I turned towards him slightly, and my anger softened a bit when I saw the look in his eyes. It wasn't pity; it was a desire to help me.

But there was nothing he could do.

I sighed. "Please Ronin. Just... Just leave me alone right now..."

And with that, I spun and ran off in the other direction, just needing time to myself...

After an hour or two or walking around angrily, I eventually ended up on a tree stump, letting my legs dangle over the side, starring out over the village. People were strolling to and fro; taking care of all the little things they had to do, completely oblivious that they were about to have the possibility of losing Moonhaven's true hero...

I grunted in anger and frustration, running my fingers through my hair. I mean, what was I supposed to _do_? How was someone supposed to react when they just found out their girlfriend's freaking destiny is to run off and _marry _a guy she'd met a week ago?!

I closed my eyes, and tried to think of a solution. Deep down, I knew I couldn't just hide Mk away and let an entire society of innocent people die...

But I couldn't lose her either. She meant _way _too much to me...

But what the hell was I supposed to _**do?!**_ She apparently _was _the freaking reincarnated, phenomenally gifted queen of a fairy kingdom! Her destiny was to end up with a prince, miles from this place. Miles from me...

I groaned. That was _never _going to happen. I mean, it _**couldn't...**_

From the top of the tree stump, I could see movement in Nim's tree house as Mk discussed her recent "discovery" with the fortuneteller of sorts. I was certain the queen was there, and Ronin too. I had no _doubt _that the stupid fairy was hanging around as well...

Sighing, I leaned back into the tree stump. It had been chopped down years before Moonhaven resided here I heard, and was quite aged. I starred up at the slowly diming sky; some in-between shade of blue and purple.

It made me think of where I felt stuck right now: in between. In between what I knew was right, and what I wanted to keep more than anything...

"...Nod?" I suddenly heard the soft whisper of the girl I'd fallen in love with. I hadn't even realized my eyes had drifted shut until they suddenly snapped open at the sound of Mk's voice. I sat up quickly and turned my body towards her, still sitting on the edge of the tree. "Hey..."

She seemed hesitant, as if unsure what to say to me. I didn't like it. Since the day we met, there had never really been any sort of barrier. It was always easy to be with her.

Eventually she asked. "Can I um, sit down?"

I blinked; surprised that she felt she needed to ask. "Yeah, of course." I patted the spot next to me, and she sat own next to me, her legs swinging back and forth over the edge. We sat in silence for a moment or two. I was trying to think of a way to convince myself that this wasn't going to change anything, but I didn't really believe that.

"Nod..." She said suddenly, a tightness in her voice. I couldn't bring myself to look at her; too afraid of what she might say. Still, I answered.

"Yeah?"

"...I'm sorry..." She whispered, and her voice cracked slightly, causing me to finally look at her and see a fat tear roll down her cheek. I was shocked.

"Are you...crying?"

Her eyes widened, as if she'd just noticed the tears, and suddenly she had her back turned to me, harshly wiping the drops away.

"_No!" _She stated childishly, before sighing. "I'm sorry Nod. I just... I don't know what to do. I don't want this kind of responsibility!" Then she added, almost under her breath."...And I don't want you to be mad at me..."

I turned her, confused and again slightly shocked. "Why on earth would I be mad at _you?_" She hadn't done anything wrong after all. It wasn't like you could just get rid of something like this...

She began fidgeting, obviously uncomfortable with this entire thing, before suddenly blurting out in a rush

"I don't know, because if I had just stayed away from them like you said, we could've avoided this whole thing and I would never had known about the Lady, or Willhollow, or anything, and you did tell me not to mess with him, but I was so convinced it was impossible and I thought I could help them now I've ruined everything and I just don't want to lose you because of it and-Mmmph!"

I suddenly crashed my lips to hers, shutting her up. It was a strong kiss, but very gentle at the same time. When we broke apart, she looked up at me with a frightened glint in her eyes.

"Nod...What do I do?"

I didn't reply right away, but instead looked out over Moonhaven, seeing the people enjoying the evening air, the kids running around and laughing, and their parents smiling at them. Willhollow had people just like these; innocent people who were laying all their hope in the hands of a girl they had never even seen before.

And _my _Mary Katherine just happened to be that girl...

Sighing, I finally looked over at her, and told her honestly. "I have no idea really. I guess... Just do what feels right to you..."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see her turn her head to look at me, but I didn't look back. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from fighting to keep her here if I saw those sparkling green eyes...

She apparently realized this too, and turned away. The strangeness in the air was completely new to me, and I was about to go crazy from it.

Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime, she answered.

"Nod...I think I have to go...To Willhollow I mean"

I looked down at her, my heart skipping slightly. She shook her head in defense. "I don't mean like _agreeing _to Tarren's conditions. I mean, I can't _stay_ obviously... but I need to try and help these people..."

"I know you do." I simply stated. I could feel the sadness radiating from my tone, and I knew exactly why.

Because despite her constant assurance in the fact that she was going to come back to us, I felt... I felt like she was slowly but surely slipping away from me. And eventually, I wasn't going to be able to hold on anymore.

I could see her hand reach out slightly, as if she wanted to grab my hand, but before our fingers touched, she curled back slowly, and I closed my eyes.

Why did this have to happen to us? Why did she have to be _this_ person out of everyone in the entire world? Why was someone trying to take someone so important from me _again? _Hadn't I lost enough already? First my mom, then my dad, and now her...

_No, _I decided. I was _not _going to lose her too.

"Well I um... I probably need to get some sleep. I'll tell Tarren and Ronin and everyone tomorrow..." Mk cut into my determined train of thought. She stood up and turned to walk away.

"Mary Katherine!" I suddenly called out to her. She turned around.

"Yeah?"

I gave her my trademark smirk. "You _know_ I'm coming with you, right?"

She smiled, her eyes looking expectant yet relieved. She had assumed I was going to go with her, but hadn't been certain.

"I wouldn't expect anything less." She then leaned down and kissed me on the cheek, before whispering in my ear. "I love _you _Nod. Okay? Only you. I'll see you tomorrow..."

And with that, she walked back to the village. I sighed, thinking about the idiotically smug look Tarren was going to be wearing tomorrow morning when he found out MK was going to Willhollow. Them I smirked to myself.

Of course, he probably wasn't expecting me to get in the way of that.

* * *

**Ugh it's so sad! WHAT MAKES YO UPSET NOD? I'LL KILL IT!**

**No seriously Josh Hutcherson is the only guy i've ever officially fangirled over, so Nod is just really close to my heart... Which is kinda ironic considering the crap that's gonna go down later... OH NO SPOILERS KILL THEM WITH FIRE!  
**

**Okay i seriously need to go finish my stupid term paper... So bye.**

**Until next time!**

**~ Macy**


	15. Isn't that Enough for You?

_**OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG! GUYS I'M BAAAAAAACK!**_

**AGH I literally can't even explain how happy I am. I'm doing **_**way **_**better in school and my parents have decided to return ma laptop. REJOICE!**

**But yeah before you guys continue the chapter I just want to explain something.**

**A couple of you PM'ed me sounding pretty worried about like my well being and whatnot, and I was want to explain that I am a **_**very **_**overly dramatic person. I blow everything that happens out of context and I'm **_**aware **_**of that. So when I say I'm probably going to kill myself, **_**I. Don't. ACTUALLY. Mean. It.**_

**That's just my way of expressing my despair over bad grades and losing my laptop and other stresses. I'm not **_**actually **_**contemplating suicide or ANYTHING close to it. Life's great!**

**So yeah, you guys **_**SERIOUSLY **_**don't need to worry. I'm fine ^_^ Actually, I'm **_**better **_**than fine because I CAN UPDATE NOW! WHOOOOO!**

**So yeah, enjoy Chapter 15, and more to come XD!**

**Chapter 15:**

**Isn't that Enough for You?**

_(MK's POV)_

I sighed irritably, leaning my cheek into my hand as I rested on the table, trying to tune out the raised voices of Tarren, Nod, and both their men. I was surprised to see Ronin sitting rather calmly a few seats away from me. With all the arguing about us, it's would've made sense for him to do something about.

After telling Tarren I was planning on going to Willhollow, he'd been thrilled, believing he'd finally saved him kingdom...Until of course I told him I wasn't _staying_ _**and**_that I wanted Nod and a couple Leafmen travelling with us.

"I can't even... To think that she'd ever _believe _we'd be okay with this!" I overheard one of the Willhollow soldier sneer to another one, glancing over at me, eyes slightly narrowed. I sighed and hid my face in my folded arms on the table. I had known that Tarren's men might not be totally on board with this idea, but I hadn't expected a full-blown argument.

Nod stood with his arms crossed, unwavering as the soldiers argued. Tarren was trying to reason with his soldiers, but they didn't seem to care. They were completely infuriated and offended at such an idea.

"I don't care what any of you _fairies _have to say, alright?" Nod retorted at their shouting, causing my head to turn in their direction. "If she's going to Willhollow, so am I. End of story."

"What does it matter?" one of them spat, suddenly glaring harshly in my direction. I froze, sitting completely upright, eyes wide. What did I do?

"The Lady of Destiny's not planning to remain in Willhollow like she's supposed to anyways, so there's really no point to any of this."

I sighed, rising from my chair "Guys I told you I want to do whatever I can to try and help! Isn't that enough for you?"

The man who spoke took a step towards me. "Yeah, you're gonna do everything _except _what Willhollow needs!" He took another step. "No, you'd rather look out for yourself and let the people of Willhollow _die! _You're just a selfish bitch!"

"_HEY!"_ Tarren shouted about to go for the guy, but he was beaten to the punch, literally.

I barely had time to step back before Nod's fist suddenly collided with the man's face. Everyone in the room froze, before chaos ensued. Nod then grabbed him by the collar and threatened in a voice filled with a blazing fury

"If you _ever _say something like to her again, I am _**personally **_going to kick your ass off the landing dock, do you hear me?!" 

"Oh, are you now _boy?" _The man muttered smugly, considering he looked a couple years older than Nod, and several inches taller. This remark only made the Leafman more furious however.

I watched as the men around started yelling again, and only moments before it turned into a full blown fist fight, I suddenly lost it, and slammed my fist on the table.

"Will you all just _SHUT __**UP?!" **_I practically screamed, freezing the entire room in its tracks. Everyone looked to me, even Nod who still had the guy's shirt in his fist. He let go the moment my angry eyes landed on him, probably not wanting to taste any of _my fury._

"Now _listen! _I get that this is life and death for you people, but don't you think that would make you a little more _humble?!"_

I then turned to the man who'd cussed at me. "Look, I get how pissed you are at me right now, and I know how much these people need me. I'm willing to try and help, but if I go, _they_ come with me. _Those _are the conditions."

The man crossed his arms over he chest, and I huffed stepping towards him and looking him straight in the eyes.

"Now from what I've heard, you guys are in some really deep shit right now, and I'm pretty sure you need me WAY more than I need you. So either you can kick that stubborn pride of your out the door, or you can carry it out yourselves when you _drag _your asses back to Willhollow, empty-handed. Am I clear?"

I then held out my hand. The man stood for a moment, contemplating, before sighing and shaking the outstretched hand that I'd offered.

"That's more like it..." I muttered, content with his response.

"Then it's settled. We leave for Willhollow first thing in the morning!" Tarren exclaimed excitedly, and despite their grudge over the Leafmen accompanying them, the men cheered in excitement. I didn't blame them. After all, they had been gone from home for months now.

While the Willhollow soldiers celebrated, I turned to Ronin, who had weaved his way into the crowd earlier to try and stop Nod from making any other stupid moves.

"Ronin, I want you to pick the best men for this trip. Of course Nod's coming, an what about you?"

Ronin chuckled. "The queen already ordered that if you did leave for Willhollow, Nod and I were both to accompany you. Of course I would've gone anyways though. Like I was gonna miss _this._"

I smiled, and Ronin stood and began making travel plans with the Leafmen and fairies. I stepped outside to let them get to work, and strolled over to the landing dock, sitting down and letting my feet dangle over the edge. Tomorrow morning, I would be leaving for Willhollow.

Despite the impending threat, I couldn't help but be curious about what the place would be like. Tarren had described it as a humongous tree with the city built inside it. It sounded beautiful, but reminded me too much of Pixie Hollow. I sighed humorously. Well, inspiration had to come from somewhere.

I suddenly heard the door slowly creak open, and turned to see Nod trying to sneak out of the room. He looked like a poor excuse for a ninja. I stifled a laugh.

"You doing okay there Jackie Chan?" I asked sarcastically. He just gave me a mocking smile as he quietly shut the door behind us and we began walking.

"Even if I knew who that was, I wouldn't think it was funny."

I just laughed. We walked around and found ourselves sitting on a little grass hill. Nod didn't speak much though, which worried me. "So... You doing okay? I mean... after that...?"

He just sighed, running hand through his hair. "Yeah I guess..."

I raised an eyebrow, looking right through his halfhearted response.

He gave up pretty quickly, and sighed in defeat. "I just wish I had a chance to teach that guy a lesson or two."

I rolled my eyes. "Nod come on, it's not that big of a-"

"Yes it is Mk." He said seriously, looking me right in the eyes and cutting off any retort I would've made. "If _anyone _ever talks to you like that, they're going to be talking to me next."

I smiled, leaning against his shoulder. As we watched the stars up above, he suddenly cleared his throat to speak. "What about you? Are _you _doing okay?"

"With what?" I asked honestly. If he meant about what just happened, I was fine now. It didn't usually take me long to cool off after snapping.

"About... About _**all **_of this? How are you... Holding up?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't call it 'holding up' at all. Part of me would love to just forget all of this and go back to the way things were..."

He chuckled, wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "I think we _all _want that, Mk."

I smiled, nuzzling into his shoulder. " I know. I just... I just _really _want to help these people, but what if...?"

I trailed off, afraid my question would upset him. Of course he had to know now that I'd started of course. "What if...?" He persisted.

I sighed. "What if the only way to help them..._is _to stay? What if there's no other option?"

I felt his fingers curl around the sleeve of my sweatshirt. Neither of us wanted to think about that this, but it was a definite possibility. There could turn out the be no other way, and after actually seeing the people... How on earth was I supposed to choose between my life here, and their lives there?

"I don't know Mk." Nod suddenly said, pulling me off my train of thought. "But I do know that whatever happens, I'm not going to leave you, okay? I promise I'll stay with you through all of this."

I smiled contently, before turning and placing a kiss on his lips. "I know you will..."

The last think I remember was seeing the stars flickering throughout the sky, and Nod humming to me as I drifted to sleep. His voice was warm and comforting.

Yeah, I decided.

I was going to be okay.

**BUAAAAAAAH! I am so happy to be updating again, I can't even. **

**So yeah, I'M OFFICIALLY BACK GUYS! I hope you haven't like all lost interest, because it's going to get **_**so **_**much crazier. Just wait and see.**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	16. This is Why I Hate Mornings

**Ugh so after being out at a Denny's until 1:30 for my cousin's police academy graduation, my mom wakes me up at 8:50, saying I have a denist appointment I have to be at by nine, and it's like twenty minutes away. I was **_**not **_**happy -_-**

**But now life is good because Thanksgiving is tomorrow! And Thanksgiving, for my family, is the marker to start the Christmas season. I am going to decorate the SHIT outta our house, and it's gonna be flipping awesome!**

"**-_- Sorry for wasting your time lol. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

_**This **_**is Why I Hate Morning**

_(Nod's POV)_

"Ugh... I _hate _mornings." I grumbled as I closed up my pack and hoisted it onto my shoulder. I was never a morning person, but this morning was particularly bad. I shut the closet doors and sighed. "Well great, the day hasn't even started yet and I already can't wait for it to end..."

I made sure everything was in place, before stepping out the door and heading for Mk's place. After she fallen asleep on my shoulder last night, I'd carried her back to her place. It was hilarious actually. She snored like an elephant

Now, as I neared the place where she was staying, I saw the door open, and the little redhead appeared, wearing a maroon colored flannel shirt, sleeves rolled up, over a grey tank top with shorts, a pair of brown boots, and her hair up in it's usual ponytail. I smiled.

"Good morning beautiful." I shouted across to her. She just rolled her eyes, skipping down the stairs with her own backpack on her shoulders, and wrapped her arms around me.

"Wish I could say the same for you. You look exhausted!"

I scoffed, kissing the top of her head. "Well what do you expect? It's like six in the morning!"

"That's not even that early!" She defended. I shook my head.

"For me it is..."

She rolled her eyes mockingly. "Well I actually _enjoy _waking up early. It's so peaceful before the day starts. Just listen." She said, and we both went silent, listening to the quiet. I shook my head at her ridiculousness, before giving her a surprise attack kiss. She made a muffled sound, before closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around my neck.

She was the one to pull away first, much too early in my opinion. I tried to go back for another kiss but she wasn't having it.

"Nod, we need to get to the training hall. Tarren and the others are waiting for us."

I just rolled my eyes, capturing her lips in another kiss. "I think this is better than some stupid road trip." I mumbled against her lips, before breaking apart. "Don't you agree?"

She just pushed me back again. "C'mon, we need to _go" _She said, laughing, before heading down the dirt path that led to the Leafmen's training center. We got there pretty quickly, though Mk had to tug on arm half the time due to me almost falling asleep while walking.

"Did I mention I hate mornings yet?" I muttered. "Cause I hate them. With a writhing passion."

Mk sighed. "Yeah I heard you the fifteenth time Nod..."

I put my arm around her shoulder and laughed. "Well I do really hate them."

She just shook her head, smiling. "What am I going to do with you?"

We headed up to the landing dock, where all the rest of the men were loading up their birds. I followed Mk towards Ronin, who turned as we approached.

"Well it's good to see you guys here on time. Did you have to drag this one out of bed?" Ronin asked Mk jokingly, gesturing to me.

"Hey!" I said defensively. He just laughed, along with Mk.

"No actually he met me at my place. Are we ready to go?"

"Almost. We just need to secure a few more things. Nod, why don't you go get your bird?"

"Aye-aye captain" I said, giving him a mock salute. He rolled his eyes, and I was heading for the stables. My bird was one of the few ones left inside. I quickly got his saddled up and brought him out to the landing dock, only to find Mk's attention already diverted by a certain blonde fairy.

"Ugh... Great." I groaned, before dragging my bird's reins out to the where they were. I only picked up bits and pieces of what they were saying, but as I reached them I overheard something that pissed me off.

"So, would you like to ride with me by any chance?"

Mk stuttered out her answer. "Well, uh..."

I cleared my throat. "Sorry to disappoint your highness, but she's riding with me."

Mk sighed, slightly out of relief. She probably felt bad turning him down. I however did not, and glared at the prince while Mk got on my bird. Then I turned, hooked my bag to the side of the bird, and climbed on.

"Are we read to go?" Ronin asked his second in command, who nodded in response.

"Alright men! Let's be off!" Ronin cried, and all the birds took off. The jolt caused MK to grab onto me quickly, to which I just laughed. This was going to be a hilarious trip...

_(MK's POV)_

We flew for about three hours or so, most of which was taken up with either me talking to Nod, or viewing the scenery. The view was absolutely gorgeous, with flowers blooming and rivers flowing beneath us. I just loved the forest.

It was almost ironic how hateful I had felt about the place before, when it had taken up all my father's attention. He had been obsessed with the woods, and it had made me resent it just a little.

However, I couldn't imagine how I _ever _could've resented this place now. It was just too beautiful to feel bitter towards...

We took several stops along the way, and were on one of them now. I sat, leaning my back against a rock, and yawned. Nod leaned now next to me.

"Someone a little tired?" He asked. I tried shaking my head no, but another yawn escaped before I could hold it back. Nod just laughed.

"C'mon we'll be taking off soon. I'll let you sleep the rest of the way."

I groaned, picking myself up off the floor. I did like waking up early, but it usually came back to bite me on days like today. "How much longer is the rest of the way?" I whined.

He just chuckled as he climbed onto his bird. "Not long. Couple hours maybe?"

"Ugh... I forgot how much I _hate _traveling." I whispered to him. He just rolled his eyes and held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up to sit in front of him. As the bird took off, I leaned against Nod's chest, and slowly drifted to sleep...

_(Nod's POV)_

It was funny the way she liked to curl up when she slept. Her hands gripped my shirt like a child, and I had to fight back a stupid smile. Of course then I caught sight of Fairy boy trying not to get caught looking at us, and the smile disappeared on it's own.

We had both fallen back a bit, so he was able to speak without eavesdropping ears worming into the conversation.

"Hey Nod?" He asked.

I grit my teeth, irritated, before turning to the prince. "What?"

"I just...I want to apologize for our confrontations before. I should've been more understanding about this."

I sighed. "I...guess I'm sorry too. You do have an entire kingdom to save. I'm no king, but I get the stress of having to protect people who depend on you."

Suddenly, I felt Mk stir slightly, and looked down at her sleeping form. She had a lazy smile on her face, and nuzzled into me. I felt the corner of my lip turn up in a half smile.

"You really love her don't you." Tarren suddenly said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. I didn't answer for a moment, just looking at her.

"Yeah...I do."

"Were you ever thinking of you know...marrying her? Before I showed up?"

I froze, taken aback. To be honest, the idea had never_ realistically _occurred to me before. Sometimes when I was daydreaming, I'd imagine it as a passing thought.

Her staying here with me, with us. Waking up in the morning and seeing her face. It didn't _seem _like a bad idea.

There were...complications though, like the fact that she didn't actually _come _from this world. She had a dad and a life back in the stomper world. The idea had always seemed slightly out of reach because of this...

I suddenly realized that Tarren was waiting for an answer. "No I don't think so. I mean...I probably thought about it, but I wasn't... you know, planning to ask or anything..."

"Oh..." He mumbled, almost surprised.

"That doesn't give you any free pass though pal. She's still mine."

Tarren didn't reply, but instead took off to catch up with the others. I closed my eyes, trying to keep myself from flying after him and starting something else up.

Eventually I neared the group, and overheard Ronin telling our men we were finally stopping for the night. Smiling, I began flying softly to the ground, and gently started waking the sleeping girl.

"Hmfffive more minutes mom..." I heard her mumble, and grew a little sad. Mk had told me about her mother and how she'd passed away awhile before the redhead met us. I shook myself out of the thought however, and went back to waking her up.

"MK... C'mon baby we're here."

"Hmm?" This seemed to wake her up. "Is there food?" She mumbled, still groggy. I laughed, shaking my head humorously.

"What am I going to do with_ you_?" I asked sarcastically. She just smiled sleepily, leaning into me once more as we landed where our campsite would be...

_(MK's POV)_

I watched the flicker of the fire as it burned softly in the night air. As far as I knew, everyone else was asleep. I however couldn't have slept even if I'd tried. Naptime aside, my brain was filled with too many loose thoughts and unanswered questions.

As I watched the flames lap at the air, grey smoke billowing from the heat below, I wondered something. If I could control planets and water and stuff, could I control fire as well? Tarren did say Queen Jennora had control over the elements, as well as some other things. Of course he hadn't told what "other things" stood for yet, but hey the fire was worth a try.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and raised my hands over the fire as if warming them, before pulling them up suddenly.

And the fire responded, growing taller and brighter. Laughing like a child with a new toy, I began moving my hands side to side and the fire followed. It was incredible... How could I have never noticed these before?! The ability to control the elements shouldn't have been hard to miss...

Finally feeling the exhaustion of night washing over me, I put the thought aside and tip-toed over to where I was sleeping for the night.

As I curled up under the blanket and starred up at the stars, I suddenly realized something I hadn't thought of for a while.

My father.

What on earth would he think about my little road trip? In the chaos of it all, I had totally forgotten to tell him anything. I sighed. It was all right. Dad had cameras as far as the forest went. I was sure there'd be one near Willhollow.

I laughed silently. I wondered how he'd feel when he found out I discovered a completely _different _advanced species of tiny people living in the woods?

As I closed my eyes for the night, missing my dad, I wondered what he would make of all this. He had never been the err...Toughest, of father's, so I couldn't imagine him going all macho defensive over the idea of a guy trying to marry me, at least considering Tarren's current circumstances , but I still couldn't really picture how he'd react.

Deciding I'd done enough thinking for the night, I sighed and tried to clear my mind in order to fall asleep...

(Later...)

The wakeup call I got was _definitely _not what I was expecting.

I felt a rough hand cover my mouth, stifling the scream I let out in surprise. Before I even knew what was going on a pair of strong arms were harshly lifting me from the ground and carrying me off into the air.

I tried screaming or fighting but he was too strong and his hand still choked out my voice.

As we soared up towards the sky, I caught sight of the man's wings, slightly luminescent in the dimly lit, early morning light, that lifted us into the air. So he was from Willhollow. I watched as we approached a group of fairies dressed in dark clothing, hovering on dark black birds.

"Alright men, I've got the girl." The man holding me said to the others. To my absolute horror, I recognized the voice. It was one of the men traveling with Tarren. What was he doing?!

"Excellent work. This is sure to please our employer immensely."

"You'd better keep your end of the deal! Leave the prince alone!" The soldier said defensively. The tall, black-clad man snickered

"Naturally good sir. The deal was clearly written; you give us the Lady of Destiny, and we spare the prince's life."

So this guy was trading me for the prince's safety. What had these people threatened Tarren with? When had they spoken with the soldier? Who _were _they anyways?!

As the man passed me over to the darkly dressed man who had spoken, I seized my last opportunity, and let out an ear-splitting scream. We could see a commotion back at the camp, and I heard Nod's voice.

"MARY KATHERINE?!" He yelled.

"NOD I'M UP HERE!" I screamed again before they gagged me. I struggled all I could but it was futile, and soon I was being carried by another man on his bird. The group of thieves began flying, hearing the sound of their pursuers behind us.

My group caught up to the thieves fairly quickly, but the man holding me began flying ridiculously fast, in an attempt to escape with the Lady of Destiny.

I was quickly able to release my arms, which had been held down, and began pounding my fist on the man in an attempt to be set free. He simply held me down harder.

"Oh hush up girl! You'll soon be in the hands of my employer, and then it'll all be over pretty quickly."

Feeling a rush of panic welling up in my chest, I began fighting even harder. Suddenly, in a last swing of my arm, golden light glowed from my hand as it flew towards the man. The moment it collided with his chest, the light burst in a bright hot explosion, knocking the wind out of the man, and causing me to be thrust backwards off the bird.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed as I plummeted towards the ground, feeling the overpowering rush of air around me. I saw Nod, who had finally caught sight of the bird carrying me away, rushing towards me. But he wasn't going to get there soon enough, I could tell.

"MARY KATHERINE!" He shouted in agonized terror as I neared the forest floor. I pinched my eyes shut, waiting for the pain of collision and hoping to die quickly, but instead, I felt myself hit something with a soft thud, much softer than I had been expecting, before slowing down. I slowly opened one eye and found that I had been caught.

...By a plant?

Several vines had shot from the forest floor and cradled my fall like a hammock. I lay curled up in a fetal position, shaking like a Chihuahua as I was lowered to the ground by the sleek green vines. I tumbled away from their hold, falling onto my butt in the process. I'd barely had time to shakily pick myself up off the floor before I was nearly knocked over once more by Nod wrapping his arms around me like a vice.

I suddenly felt anger rise up in me, and I turned to Tarren, who was rushing towards us.

"Okay 'your _highness', _could you _please_ explain to me who _THEY _were?!"

Tarren replied. "I have absolutely _no _idea! I had no knowledge of anyone else outside Willhollow, and that's pretty much the only place where fairies reside in this area."

I laughed bitterly, though it sounded more panicky than I'd intended due to still recovering over the fact that I'd almost gone smack down on the freaking forest floor. "Yeah well I guess you were a _bit _misinformed!"

"I'm sorry Mary Katherine. I promise we'll be on much better watch from now on, and I'll speak with our captain the _moment _we reach Willhollow.

"Good." I stated, still not entirely satisfied.

"But...Mk." Nod suddenly said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "How did you...Do that?"

"Do what?"

"The... that _spark_? You hit the guy with some sort of sparking... light thing. And how did you even survive the fall?!"

"Well I have _no _idea what the light was, but as for me not _**dying**_... it was the vines. They...Caught me."

"Protecting the Lady of Destiny." Tarren stated, almost nostalgically.

"Excuse me?" I asked, my brain still jumbled from yet _another_ near-death experience.

Tarren smiled. "As the Lady of Destiny, you work quite similarly to the Queen of Moonhaven in your connection to nature. The forest, in it's own way, is alive and aware. Now that you've discovered your abilities however, the forest life has the ability to serve you on it's own."

I pondered this for a moment. "So basically... the trees and flowers and stuff can help me when I'm in a tight spot, right?"

Tarren laughed. "That's one way to put it. As for the light spark... That was probably the "other thing" I mentioned earlier. The Lady's defensive power."

I didn't speak for a moment, before suddenly squealing excitedly, slightly startling the whole group. "_Seriously?! _So I really _can_ shoot fireballs and stuff?That's like the coolest thing I've ever heard of!"

Nod chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah I'm sure your kidnapper thought it was pretty cool too, as he was _plummeting to the ground_."

I slapped my hand over my mouth. " Oh my god I didn't kill him did I?!" I screeched, feeling the panic rising again. Of course the guys had pissed me off and probably deserved prison, but I didn't want him _**dead?!**_

"No, he got away unfortunately. So did Tarren's litter traitor." Nod answered, glaring at the fairy prince, who defensively replied. "I had no way of knowing any of my men would be plotting something like that. It was completely out of my control!"

Nod rolled his eyes. "Of course your highness, just keep telling yourself that."

There was a tense silence for a moment or two, before I decided to break the ice.

"Alrighty guys." I said in a probably overly cheerful tone, stepping between the two and breaking their locked stare down. "Since it's morning anyways, we should probably get going."

Tarren sighed, giving up first. "She's right. If we leave now we might be able to get there within two or three days."

Every agreed, and headed back to our camp. I went to follow them, but someone's hand pulled me by the upper arm, and suddenly I felt my lips crashed against Nod's while everyone was heading away.

It was a quick but meaningful kiss, portraying everything he had been feeling. He'd been absolutely terrified.

I laughed when we broke apart. "Seriously Nod. I'm _okay."_

He simply arched down to be at my eye level, and brushed some stray pieces of hair out of my face. "Fine, fine, but could you do me a favor?"

I laughed. 'Sure. What?"

"Just... _try _not to almost get kidnapped by another strange group of people again. Alright?"

I smiled, wrapping my arms around his torso. "I'll do my best..."

Nod wrapped his arms around me as well, before adding. "See _this _is why I hate mornings! Bad things happen in the morning!"

I held back a stupid laugh. "I might actually start buying that."

With that, we both headed back to camp to prepare for the rest of our trip to Willhollow.

* * *

**Wow you guys got a long chapter today! Awesome! Quick note: I **_**think**_** I'll be updating tomorrow, but I really don't know because of the holiday whatnot... So yeah, probably, but unconfirmed.**

** Keep reviewing guys! It honestly makes my day ^^" and I'll have the next chapter soon!**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	17. Much to Discuss

**Ugh omg I KNOW how much I suck, but I caught the fever bug that was spreading through the house and was feeling like absolute crap for the weekend. Not to mention I had to finished all my procrastinated homework **_**while **_**feeling sick as a dog.**

**I **_**SWEAR **_** I'm going to be back though, and I'll try REALLY hard to update daily... "-_- sorry I know you're ready to kill me.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

_**Much **_**to Discuss...**

_Several Days Later..._

_(MK's POV)_

"Mary Katherine!" I heard Tarren call out, slightly ahead of us. His voice had a certain spring to it, which gave me a spark of excitement.

"Yeah?"

"Look!" He said, pointing towards what looked like an opening in the trees, coming closer. My heart dropped into my stomach in my excitement. "We're almost there!"

I leaned up against Nod, trying to get a better view. I heard Nod sigh, frustrated. "Couldn't get here soon enough. I'm getting exhausted with all this travelling."

"Nod, speed it up! I wanna see this place!"

My irritable boyfriend simply rolled his eyes, but obeyed, whipping the reins of his bird and urging it to fly faster. I could feel my heart soaring as high as the birds as we neared the place where Tarren had grown up. The place that was depending on my return with it's prince...

Suddenly, I was blinded by light suddenly flooding my line of sight. When my eyes cleared, the sight that met them was beyond what words could describe.

Before us, stood a huge meadow, the floor consisting of swaying green grasses, as well as flowers of purple, yellow, pink, and white scattered over it, basking in the afternoon sunlight. At the center of the meadow stood a gigantic, thick willow tree, with houses and structures built into it the trunk and amongst the branches up high. At the very top, I saw large castle towers rising up from the leaves.

"Tarren is that your home at the top?" I shouted across to the prince, sounding much too ecstatic, even for myself. Tarren just laughed.

"Yeah. It's cool isn't it!"

"Cool?! Tarren it's absolutely_ amazing!"_

Tarren smiled. "Thanks... Wow. I didn't realize how much I've missed this place... Jason! We're finally home!" The blonde shouted to his raven-haired friend.

"I know! I can't wait to see my family... And I'm sure Jenni will be absolutely thrilled to see you."

Tarren smiled, and I couldn't help but smile as well. I was really looking foreword to meeting the little princess. The way Tarren had spoken about her, you could really tell how much he cared about her.

I had grown up an only child, so I had never experienced that kind of relationship. The closest I had ever come to having a sibling was watching over the queen. It would be nice to meet his sister.

As we flew over the fields, I could see workers down below, harvesting berries and flower nectar from the meadow floor. As our little group soared overhead, they looked up curiously, before cheering.

"Look! Prince Tarren has returned!" They cheered, clapping and shouting for joy. Tarren smiled and waved, before gesturing to me.

"And he has brought us the Lady of Destiny!" They cheered even louder, celebrating below. I gave them my best awkward smile, waving shyly. I could hear Nod groan softly, obviously not intending for me to hear. I placed my hand on his shoulder. "Hey, you doing okay?"

He let out a mocking "Tch. No."

I rubbed his shoulder, trying to comfort the Leafman. "Oh come on. It'll be fine! We'll help these people and be back home before you know it."

He rolled his eyes, "Yeah somehow I _seriously _doubt it'll be that simple..."

I sighed, wrapping my arms around him from behind and not replying, mostly because he was probably right. With the complications of this situation, it was never going to be as simple as waltzing in, healing the place, and leaving.

We soon reached Willhollow's landing dock. The place was definitely much more refined than Moonhaven. You could tell just by the fine exterior of their palace.

As we dismounted our birds, Nod helping me down himself, we suddenly heard a pair of double doors swing open, and an officer of some sort, with grayed hair and a neatly shaved beard of the same hue hurried onto the landing dock, and walked straight over to Tarren.

Tarren greeted the man with a wide smile, and they both enveloped each other in a hug.

"I've missed you boy." The grey-haired man said, a warm and inviting tone to his voice.

"As have I Oren, but we have not come home empty handed!" Tarren replied, before rushing over, taking my hand, and pulling me towards the man.

"Mary Katherine, this is Captain Oren, general of Willhollow's armies. Captain... I give you, Mary Katherine, the Lady of Destiny."

The captain's smile grew wider, as he kneeled before it. "It is a honor to finally meet you Milady."

"Umm... You guys really don't need to do the bowing thing." I said, slightly embarrassed. "Really it's okay."

Shrugging, the general rose to his feet. "I'm glad to know our prince has found his queen. Many of the people of Willhollow were beginning to doubt Prince Tarren would ever return with the Lady of Destiny..."

I chuckled humorlessly, looking over at Tarren with a look that said 'you should probably explain the situation to him. Like_ right now._'

Tarren sighed, turning to his general. "Listen Oren. There's a bit of a...complication."

Oren chuckled. "What complication? I'm sure we can handle whatever the problem is."

I heard Nod grumbling behind us, and turned to him, mouthing the words "Please chill."

"Well..." Tarren began, about to explain, when another, smaller figure suddenly burst from the double doors.

"TARREN!" I heard the sound of a small girl cry out as the figure rushed, no actually _flew, _towards the prince, clad in a flowing peach gown that fluttered as she went. She looked like a younger, female copy of Tarren, with wide, child-like silver eyes and long, wavy blonde hair that spun into large curls as the bottom. Her wings had a soft violet tint to them.

The child rushed to the boy and tackled him, wrapping her arms around his neck. Tarren held her around the waist and spun her around, laughing. I smiled. This had to be the Princess Jennora.

"Oh Tarren I've missed you so very much! I was afraid you'd been hurt and wouldn't come back to me!" She cried out softly, hugging her brother tightly. He just laughed.

"You silly girl. I'll always come back for my little sister. And I brought the girl who's going to help us." Tarren said, turning to me.

The little girl followed her brother's gaze and gasped. "I-is that...?"

Tarren beckoned me over, and I walked towards the two, smiling. She seemed almost awe-struck. "Jenni, this is Mary Katherine, the Lady of Destiny."

"Wow..." The little girl said, starring wide-eyed. "You're beautiful..."

I blushed softly. "Oh thanks. You're very pretty too. Your brother's told me all about you. Jennora, right?"

The blonde child giggled. "You can call me Jenni."

I laughed in response "Alright, Jenni it is then. It's very nice to meet you Jenni.

She smiled, before a sort of curiosity overcame her.

"Mary Katherine, are you going to marry Tarren?"

I froze, struck still by her question. The words brought back memories that now seemed as far away as Moonhaven did.

"_Mary Katherine, are you going to marry Nod?"_

It took me a moment to return from my minor flashback. Realizing the child was still looking for an answer, I shook my head, smiling sadly. "Umm no actually. I've just come to see how I can help with out actually, you know... getting married."

The girl tilted her head in confusion, and I heard the general, who was speaking with Tarren now, gasp in astonishment. I didn't blame either of them. They had been expecting their prince to bring back a bride as well as a rescuer.

I could see Nod stepping towards our group, probably not comfortable with the situation. I didn't blame_ him_ either. Personally, I was growing more uncomfortable by the moment.

"Why not?" Jenni asked innocently.

"Yes indeed _why not._" General Oren muttered angrily. " Tarren what is the meaning of this? Your job was to bring her back to make her our _queen! _Not simply for a _visit?!_ What is the meaning of this, girl?" Oren then turned to me, stepping towards me.

In the blink of an eye, Nod was standing in front of me, blocking me from Oren. I peeked over his shoulder, looking apologetically at the general, who was taken aback.

"And who are you?" He asked, snottily, obviously not pleased to see a Leafman here. Nod narrowed his eyes.

"I'm your precious Lady of Destiny's boyfriend, for your information. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but apparently you went looking for your little heroine a bit too late. As you can see she's already taken."

Oren looked astonished, and completely outraged.

"_Boyfriend?_! And he's a _**Leafman?!" **_

Tarren placed his hand on the general's shoulder. "Oren we have much to discuss."

The general remained where he was, eyes shifting between Nod's eyes and mine. I looked down, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious.

Eventually, the general turned away from us, and back to Tarren. "I agree your highness. _Much _to discuss..."

Finally, Ronin approached and occupied the General's attention. Tarren hurried over. "I'm sorry Mary Katherine, I should've warned you about Oren. Although, I'm actually surprised. He reacted fairly well."

I laughed sarcastically. "_That _was him reacting well?!Jeez I'd hate to see reacting badly..."

Tarren sighed. "Look I'll speak with him alright? We'll get this sorted out."

Suddenly, a maid burst through he door, wings flapping rapidly. The moment she caught sight of the princess, an exasperated sigh escaped her lips.

"Oh my goodness... Princess Jennora! What on earth are you doing out here?! The doctor ordered you to stay in bed for at least a day or two more. Now come along! It's time for your medicine."

The young girl groaned. "But Isabelle, I feel perfectly fine! I promise I'm not sick anymore."

Tarren's expression twisted slightly, and I knew what he was thinking. "Sick?"

Jenni sighed. "Yeah, I had a fever for a bit while you were gone, but I promise I'm feeling much better."

Tarren's eyes switched from the girl, to the general, his expression questioning. Oren simply nodded, answering the question we were all asking.

It was the sickness Tarren's mother had predicted.

I felt a knot forming in my stomach, making me slightly nauseous. If this plague was already taking effect, then we had even less time than I thought. Less than _any _of us had thought.

"Come." Oren said. "We shall discuss the rest of the matters inside. Isabelle will escort our...Guests to their rooms."

The note of distaste in his voice really irritated me, but I maintained my composure and followed the group inside, listening in on Tarren and Oren speaking.

"Are there any others with the illness in the city?" Tarren asked, sounding extremely concerned. Oren nodded.

"Eleven in all, and four of them still haven't recovered. Your sister and the others six could be nursed back to health, but we don't know how long it will be before the sickness returns to them. Tarren... We need her now more than ever..." the general whispered, glancing discretely over at me. I starred at the ground, pretending not to notice, but feeling a wave of guilt wash over me, making my stomach turn.

I hadn't been here for an hour, and eleven people had already gotten this sickness. Tarren's _sister _being one of them! What kind of destiny was this...?

Isabelle, the head maid, first showed the Leafmen their places of residence while we stayed here. How they already had the room perfectly ready I had no idea, but I decided not to question her. Jenni talked away like a machine, telling me all about Willhollow and Tarren and how much she had been looking forward to us coming home.

"Tarren's my most favoritest person in the whole world. I was real worried about him when he was travelling."

I smiled sympathetically. "Well he was working very hard to try and bring me here."

"Why didn't you want to come here in the first place?" She asked innocently. "Willhollow's so beautiful. I don't see why anyone in their right mind wouldn't want to live here."

I chuckled dryly. "Well umm you see, at first I didn't actually believe your brother when he told me I was the Lady of Destiny. I thought he had me mixed up with someone else. And then I also was already with another boy."

The princess seemed completely infatuated with my story. "Really? Who was that?"

I turned to Nod, who was walking silently beside me, and pulled him over.

"Jenni, this is Nod, my boyfriend."

Jenni's eyes popped like a goldfish, and she opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. Nod gave her his best attempt at a friendly smile, holding out his hand. "It's nice to meet you your highness."

This seemed to unfreeze the star-struck girl, but barely, as she could hardly stutter out her reply. "Uh... Oh, umm It's nice to m-meet you too..." She mumbled, shaking Nod's hand, and blushing slightly. I grinned as the shy girl then blurted out. "Will you please excuse me?" And then rushed up to walk with Miss. Isabelle.

I had to stifle a laugh at the girl's odd behavior. "Aww that's adorable!"

Nod just looked confused. "Did I do something wrong?"

I had to let out a laugh at that one. "You idiot, she thinks you're cute!"

Nod took a moment to process this, before getting a smug look on his face. "Well of course she does. I _am_ devilishly handsome."

I rolled my eyes and elbowed him in the ribs. "Whatever you say, hot-shot."

We reached Nod's room, and then Ronin's, though he was busy speaking with Oren and Tarren, then look a small spiraling flight of stairs to reach my room, which was in a hallway all on it's own.

Isabelle curtly turned to me and spoke in a very formal manner. "If there is anything you require Milady, I will be right up the stairs and to the left tending to Mistress Jennora. If you cannot locate me however, please call for another servant."

Then she leaned in, and with a cold stare, also added. "I would _highly _advise not wandering around the palace unattended by an escort of servant of some sort. For both your safety, and the well keeping of the palace. There are people here who would not appreciate strangers snooping about."

And with that, she snootily stomped up the stairs, Jenni following submissively.

"Well... _she's _certainly lovely." I muttered, before letting out a sigh, and opening the large wooden double doors to my room.

I couldn't believe what I found.

The room was huge, and exactly what you'd expect a royal suite to look like. A large king sized bed with a canopy jutted out against the wall, and a lovely stone tiled the floor in a beautiful mosaic style. There was a large dresser and vanity, and huge, triple sided mirror with a stool, like the ones used in Disney movies for dressing the princess in her gowns.

Nearby was large curtain, which after some inspection, revealed a huge bathroom with a giant tub and a cupboard filled with all sorts of bottles of soaps and perfumes and things that appeared pretty expensive just by looking at them.

The most refined part of the room however, had to be the large balcony, beneath which fluttered busy fairies, working throughout the palace and all of Willhollow. The leaves of the tree provided a cool shade, and the scent of nature was as clean and refreshing as the breeze.

I stood out on the balcony for a while looking out over Willhollow. The place was more beautiful than I could've imagined, more than Tarren could've ever described it, though he did his best. I understood why he loved the place so much.

And why he wanted to save it so much...

I sighed, letting my backpack fall to the floor beside the bed and flopping onto the soft mattress. It was a cushy as a marshmallow and made me sleepier just by resting on it for a moment. Sleep was probably what I needed right now, after that long trip... But... it would be better to sleep... when it...reached nighttime...

(Later...)

I awoke from my unintentional nap a few hours later, when it was already growing dark. I stretched my arms up, feeling extremely groggy. I hated taking naps accidentally. Waking up from them always made me feel more tired than when I fell sleep.

Realizing it had gotten pretty late, I picked my backpack up from off the floor, walked into the bathroom and washed up. After drying up and changing into a pair of lime-green, plaid sleep shorts and a grey tank top, I flopped back on the bed.

"This place is pretty cool." I mumbled to myself. "It's almost like a hotel."

Then I laughed, remembering how mom and I used to stay at hotels when she'd need to leave town for work, and I'd always get in trouble running off to places I shouldn't.

Suddenly, this place seemed vast and interesting, and since I'd just fallen asleep on accident, I wasn't going to be crashing for the night anytime soon. Grinning mischievously, I grabbed my favorite pink hoodie, slipped my sock feet into my sneakers, and hurried towards the door.

I cracked it open slowly; making sure no one was there, before stepping to the hallway. I looked to the left, in the direction Isabelle had taken Jennora, and decided it would be better to try and avoid the mistress in any ways possible.

So I began to sneak across the hall, taking in everything as I went. The hallway itself was dimly lit and surprisingly empty. Of course my mental clock had been a bit throw off by the nap, and it was probably later than it felt.

I wandered the hall and examined the multiple pictures gracing the dark, candle-lit walls. They were all pictures of different people, some serious, some happy, some peaceful, but all the people, young or old, had a certain refinement to them. They were probably royalty from years past.

Eventually, I came across an extremely large painting, lit on either side by large candle mounts. It was a family; a mother, father, and two kids; a boy and girl. I recognized the faces of the kids, though they were older now.

This was a family portrait of Tarren and Jennora with their parents.

Extremely interested, I examined the faces of the royal family. Tarren's father was where the brother and sister had gotten most of their looks, with the same buttery, golden hair and blue eyes, though his were a more baby blue than Tarren or Jenni's silver blue.

Their mother on the other hand had little resemblance with her very light brown hair and hazel eyes. Well... that wasn't entirely true. I could see something of the queen in the softness of Tarren's eyes, or Jennora's smile...

They all looked so happy here, back when they were all together...

Starting to feel an overwhelming sense of grief, I moved past the portrait and continued my walk to the end of the hall. Round the corner I found a large staircase that spiraled up and out of sight. I could see a light shining down at the top as well, and this boosted my curiosity.

I was about to creep up the stairs so see what there was at the top, when I suddenly heard footsteps at the top, and froze.

Crap.

I silently scrambled for a place to hide, and just as the person was about to turn the corner of the stairwell, I slipped down a corridor hidden by a large tapestry of some sort. I heard the soft, careful steps of the person walking. I would've simply stayed where I was until they passed, but I suddenly heard a sniffling, as if the person had been crying.

Carefully, I peek from behind the corner, and caught a glimpse of the weeping figure...

* * *

**... I know, I suck. What can I say I love cliffhangers though?! Trust me there will be many more to come...XD**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	18. How Could Destiny Feel So Wrong?

**Hehe ya know what sucks? Term papers. Ya know what sucks more? Thinking your term paper was due Friday and finding out it's due **_**tomorrow...**_

**-_- you people better feel perty lucky that I'm wasting good working time to post this chapter... XD Whatever I'm almost done anyways. Thanks god...**

**Oh, and P.S. the dinning/sitting room later in the chapter was inspired by that ballroom thing from the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland...You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there.**

**So anyways, Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

**How Could Destiny Feel So Wrong?**

_(Mk's POV)_

It was..._Jenni? _

What on earth was she doing up this late, and why was she sneaking around? I slowly stepped out from my hiding place in the little corridor, and watched curiously as the little girl tiptoed back towards her room, holding back sobs as she went.

I stood for a moment, not sure what to do next, when I suddenly heard voices coming from the direction Jenni had come from. I couldn't tell exactly whose they all were or what they were talking about, but I thought I could recognize Tarren's voice, and that gave me the sudden urge to see what was going on.

I carefully creeped up the stairs, and peeked around the corner. There was another long hallway, however, the left side of it worked as a sort of balcony over a large room. I inched over to the railing that lined the left side, and looked down.

It looked like a very large dinning/sitting room. A large brown table sat on one side, and a couple chairs and sofa sat at the other end, with a large fireplace blazing. Three guys were gathered by the fire, and none of them looked particularly happy. I recognized Tarren and Oren, but the other I had never seen before.

"Your highness," The stockier gentleman with glasses said. "With all due respect, what on _earth _were you thinking?! Bringing _one _Leafman with you would've been bad enough, but a whole party of them?!"

Tarren sighed. "Arthur, I understand how foolish it might seem to you, but the Lady requested that they come with her."

Oren rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, because she just _had _to bring that _**boy **_with her..."

The man's head turned to Oren, causing Tarren to sigh, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

"What boy?" The man, Arthur, asked. Oren turned to Tarren.

"Why don't you tell them about your little rival."

Tarren groaned. "Oren really you can't expect me to-"

"_What. Boy."_

The fairy prince said nothing for a moment, and I found myself holding my breath, fearing how they were going to take all this...

"Mary Katherine... was with someone else when I found her in Moonhaven."

The room froze solid for two seconds, before suddenly bursting in a flash of fury.

"_**SOMEONE ELSE?!" **_

Tarren groaned as the man began a yelling rant, shouting about how ridiculous it was. I sighed, wondering how much of this I was going to be hearing during my stay.

"And it gets worse." Oren said, obviously trying to make Tarren feel as guilty as possible, which pissed me off slightly. "Because of this, the Lady of Destiny-"

"Her name's Mary Katherine." Tarren cut in, making me roll my eyes.

"Whatever!" The general shouted. "The point in that she is not planning to stay!"

This only made Arthur more furious. "Tarren, _what _is the meaning of all this?! You bring the Lady of Destiny here, and fill the people of Willhollow with hope, before letting her run off again with those barbaric Leafmen?!"

"I had no other choice! It was the only way to get her to come, on the grounds that she would not be staying."

Arthur threw his hands in the air. "Figures. Anyone staying with the people of Moonhaven _would _be as selfish and conceited as she; only willing to help our innocent people as long as she gets out of the deal in the end. Spoiled _brat!_"

I felt the blood rushing angrily to my cheeks. How _dare_ this man stand there and spout insults about me?! Tarren seemed to feel the same way, because he suddenly stood from his seat in the chair, and looked straight at Arthur, eyes ablaze.

"You have _no _place to speak about Mary Katherine that way! She wants to help us most of all, but this is a girl who already has a life in another place, and a man who loves her more than life itself! She didn't even know she was the Lady until our troop appeared! How can you expect her to suddenly throw everything to the wind, and run away to get married to a man she'd only met once, to save a kingdom she'd never even heard of before?!"

This silenced both men. Tarren flopped back down, exasperated. "But despite all this, despite this battle not being hers, she was willing to come..."

"And yet she will not stay, correct?" Oren said, as if everything Tarren had just spoken had flown right over his head. And perhaps it had? My reasoning did not matter to this man, only the consequence of my decisions.

"No, but that is only because she is extremely confidant that there is a way to cure Willhollow without remaining as it's queen."

Oren looked hard at Tarren for some time, before coming to a conclusion. "You don't believe there is another way though, do you."

Tarren sighed, closing his eyes. "...No. I don't. I believe my mother of all people would've known if there was another way..."

The room went silent, and I felt as if someone had taken a right cross to my chest. So even Tarren had no faith in there being another way?

Arthur suddenly spoke up. "Of course there's no other way! She would have to be here at all times to bring life to this tree, and she could only have passage to do that by becoming queen anyways..."

Oren let out a huff that rang with certain desperation. " Then what do we do? Eleven have already been ill, and four are still stricken with it. That number will increase before we have a solution at this rate."

Arthur slammed his fist down on the palm of his other hand. "I'll tell you what our solution is: we keep the Lady of Destiny held here, and dispose of the Leafmen."

My hand rushed to cover my mouth, and I felt my heart suddenly drop to my stomach. I turned away and leaned my back against the wall, knees pulled up to my chest, body trembling. So they were going to keep me locked up here now?! Hold me hostage?!

I suddenly heard Tarren's outraged voice, and looked back at the scene. "You don't mean to say we'd hold her against her _will _do you?! That's _**mutiny!" **_

"What's _mutiny _my dear boy is watching an entire kingdom be wiped out by a plague simply because the girl destined to save it won't cooperate!"

Tarren stood up once more, and looked menacingly at Arthur. "I'm not going to force her into anything she doesn't want okay? That's the bottom line."

"Them make her _want _to stay here. Give her a reason not to return." Arthur said, before heading for the exit. "Oren, try hammering some sense into the boy. We're running out of time." He said before exiting the room, overdramatically.

Tarren sighed, looking away from the man, and I could see a hint of sadness in his eyes. He wished that I wanted to stay.

Seeing the expression in his eyes, and having heard the way he defended me just them, I suddenly realized that maybe Nod was right? Maybe Tarren did want me to stay for more than simply saving his home?

"Tarren this is a matter of life and death. If this girl is as interested in helping us as you say she is, make her see what she has to do."

"I _have."_

"Then make it clearer! She obviously doesn't understand how desperate we are, and there's no time left to make her... Willhollow believes in you, boy. Your mother believed in you most of all. I _doubt _you want to disappoint her..."

And with that, the general stormed out of the room, leaving Tarren starring at the ground, a look of anguish in his eyes. I suddenly felt a rush of anger towards the men who had just exited. I was the one causing these issues! Why were they taking it out on Tarren?

Suddenly, it hit me. I _was _the one causing this, but I wasn't taking the hit for it because I wasn't the one they say. Tarren was. The people saw Prince Tarren as the person who would have the solutions for them, but maybe they were going to the wrong person? Maybe I, as the Lady of Destiny, had the same duty as the Prince of Willhollow? Maybe this _was _supposed to be my destiny...?

But how could destiny feel so _wrong?_ When I was in Moonhaven, before all this began, I felt like there was a calling to that place, like it was where my own little place in the world was hidden. The people there cared about me and I cared about them...

And Nod... He was my world. He was _everything_. How could my destiny even_ exist_ without him being a part of it? How would that _ever_ be right?

I rubbed my eyes, suddenly feeling the exhaustion of the world weighing down on me, and decided it was time to go back. I slowly crept away from my spying place, tiptoed down the stairs, and silently rushed back into my room.

Somehow I still felt uneasy, even back in the confines of my current place of residence...

Suddenly, I realized who's face I need to see right now. With a new feeling of determination, I slipped back out the double doors, and creeped down the stairs that Isabelle had led me up to before. It wasn't difficult to then locate the room, and I stood for a moment, taking a deep breath, before turning the doorknob, and stepping inside...

_(Nod's POV)_

Ugh, this stupid bed absolutely sucked. It was much too cushiony, and made it difficult to settle. I liked my place back home much more. Geez I couldn't wait to take MK away from this place and go back to Moonhaven...

I sighed, remembering that it wasn't going to be that simply, not with so many people's lives on the line, and it wasn't as easy to brush it off as it had been before I'd actually _seen _the place.

Sure, there were lots of people who'd gladly kick my ass off the landing dock if they got the chance, but there were also those like Tarren's sister, Jenni. She was just a kid. She didn't understand our feud, or anything about us. She only smiled at us like we were anybody else. _Those _were the kind of people that made me care about this place...

I groaned, glancing outside. It was only a little past midnight, and I couldn't sleep to save my life, despite having laid here for hours trying. This was going to be a long night...

Suddenly, I felt the bedding shift, as if someone was crawling underneath, and I felt a presence behind me, curled up in the sheets. Freezing, I waited for a moment to see if they'd do anything, but nothing happened. The figure merely remained where they were.

Turning over towards the form, confused, I saw the person balled up beneath the sheets, and from the moonlight reflecting through the window, I could see the top of a head of dimly lit, red hair popping out from underneath.

"...MK?" I asked, surprised. Two sparkling green eyes peeped out from beneath the covered, a slightly embarrassed gleam in them. Yup. Definitely MK.

"Umm hey." She replied shyly. "Sorry if I woke you up?"

"What are you doing here?" I asked, though there wasn't the right tone of surprise in my voice. Honestly, I was glad she was here. I had been worried about letting her go off on her own, considering everything that was going on here, and how desperately these people needed her to stay...

"I just...I couldn't sleep and well I-I thought..." She trailed off, a soft redness glowing in her cheeks, barely visible in the dim light. I smiled, and finished her sentence. "You want some company?"

"Uh, well... _your _company more specifically." She corrected, her cheeks growing redder. I chuckled, lifting the sheets. "Well come here then."

She smiled slightly, still embarrassed, and shifted over, curling into my chest. She felt so small there, and I could tell by how stiff and unsettled she was that something was really bothering her.

"Mk...?"

"Yeah?" She said weakly, giving away her obvious unrest.

"What happened?"

She didn't look me in the eyes, but simply stated. "What do you mean?"

I rolled my eyes. "I mean there's obviously a motive behind your insomnia here. Just fess up. What's bugging you?"

"Nothing!" She said, and she seemed so sincere that, had I not known her as well as I did, I might have believed her. I simply stared. She closed her eyes, admitting to the fraud, but it was evident that she wasn't going to admit what it was.

I sighed, and pulled her close to me. "It's cool okay? If you don't want to talk, you can just go to sleep."

She smiled and snuggled into the crook of my neck. "Thank you Nod."

I chuckled, kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight Mary Katherine."

She fell asleep pretty quickly, to my relief. She was going to have a long day of dealing with the kingdom tomorrow, and needed the rest. I suddenly realized I'd have to try and sneak her back to her room in the morning, or risk being caught with her here. Who _knew _what kind of rumors would spread about the city's supposed savior?

I chuckled, thinking about how Willhollow's people were going to react to the Lady of Destiny already being in a relationship. It was going to be quite the news flash for them.

Suddenly, Mk sighed, her breath tickling my throat and causing shivers to run down my spine, before she snuggled deeper into my chest, her arms snaking around my neck. I smiled contently down at her and cradled her more securely.

"Sweet dreams Lady of Destiny..." I whispered, before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

**X'D I almost thought about sticking an "Always" in that last part, but thought better of it... Any decent Hunger Games fan will understand that... ^^" I need a social life...**

**Anyways this chapter made ME go fangirling so I hope you guys had the same response! Good thing too because I **_**think **_**the next chapter's supposed to be a bit of a downer... oh well ^_^**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	19. Sure of Nothing

**Whaaaaaat? I'm updating **_**earlier **_**than one in the freaking morning? **_**What is this sorcery?!**_

**So I don't really have anything to say, and that probably a good thing since I sure I bug the shit outta you fine people, so without further ado, Chapter 19!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

**Sure of Nothing**

_(Mk's POV)_

My wake-up the next morning was not exactly what I would've expected.

"Rise and shine milady!" I heard a feminine yet firm voice calling, pulling back the blinds of my room. Sunlight flooded my eyes, and I groaned, pulling the sheets over my head.

"Milady I do hate to intrude, but Miss. Isabelle has required me to prepare you to meet his Royal Highness for a meeting on the matters of Willhollow." The voice persisted.

I groaned as I forced myself into an upright position. "Umm well thanks for the err... Consideration, but I can 'prepare' myself just fine."

The owner of the voice, a young girl, smiled apologetically, and I took in her appearance for a moment. She looked about my age, if not younger, with a long, strawberry blonde braid running down her back, an array of little white flowers weaved into it. Her eyes were a sparkling brown. They reminded me of Nod's...

"I'm sorry milady, but Miss. Isabelle sternly requested that I find something more... appropriate for you to wear. She said the clothes you had before were 'completely unsuitable for royal company. Raggedy as well' she said."

I frowned, already growing a stronger and stronger dislike for "Miss. Isabelle."

The girl quickly put her hands up in apology. "Not that I think that milady! It really wasn't my place to repeat the Miss's words..." She said, before adorning a rather thoughtful look, and adding. "To be honest, I liked your clothes. I thought they were almost exotic in some way. Very interesting"

I smiled, trying to stifle a laugh. "What's your name?"

She smiled in return, standing a bit more erect. "Tanya ma'me. Pleasure to be waiting on the Lady of Destiny herself."

I could feel my cheeks flush at the attention. It was going to be strange having so many people fussing over my arrival. Tanya continued to gabber on about how thrilled Willhollow was that I had finally arrived, but also about the rumors that I wouldn't be staying, which I informed her were true.

"It's a shame." She said, setting the duster down and pulling some clothing articles from the dresser. "His Highness, Prince Tarren has been alone for so long. Many believed that the Lady of Destiny would be 'the one' for him."

I shrugged, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Well as far as Tarren was concerned, it was simply on the grounds that his kingdom was in trouble, and he needed me to save it."

Tanya smiled good-naturedly, revealing two small dimples on her freckled cheeks. She seemed very sweet; someone I'd have become good friends with, were I staying...

Sighing, I hopped out of bed to get ready for the day. Tanya showed me the clothes she had pulled out. It was a pale cream dress that ended at about my shins, with a forest green ribbon tied around the waist. I held back a cringe.

"Umm I really don't do dresses. Sorry Tanya, but I think I'll stick to my stuff."

Tanya looked unsure for a moment, but eventually shrugged it off. "Well, Miss. Isabelle won't be happy, but I suppose it's your decision to make."

I smiled thankfully to the strawberry blonde girl, and rushed to my backpack, pulling out a light blue, tank top, denim capris, and a brown leather blazer, and got dressed and ready for the day.

Slipping on my sneaker and pulling my hair back, I smiled at myself in the mirror, and followed a waiting Tanya out the door.

"So where are we headed?"

"The throne room actually. Tarren wishes to discuss a few things with you. Something about the introductory ball I think."

I stopped walking. Tanya looked back at me, concerned. "Is something wrong milady?"

I sighed dejectedly. "Okay first of all, please drop the 'milady' thing. It's weirding me out. And second, a _ball? _Is that _**really **_necessary?"

To this Tanya laughed, which didn't make me feel better at all. "Well of course it is. This ball is your official introduction to the people of Willhollow. I believe they're planning to hold it in a few days, but it's nothing to worry about. "

We then continued walking, me now sulkily following like a child about to be punished and entered the throne room pretty quickly. To sum things up, it was beautiful.

Thought the place was inside, the room had so many windows and openings, it almost didn't seem so. The place glowed with sunlight, and the floor was lit an array of colored light, shining down from the stained-glass window ceiling.

"Wow." Was all I could say, and Tanya smiled, as if understand the emotions going through me.

"It's quite beautiful isn't it? Queen Rheina always loved open space. Come, Prince Tarren in waiting for you." And with that, the little strawberry haired girl led me across the room, where Tarren, Oren, and the man from last night, Arthur, were waiting. I tried my hardest not to glare at the last one.

Tarren smiled when he saw me approaching, unaware of the others behind him, looking irritated and spiteful. I did my best to ignore them.

"Oh you're here!" Tarren said. "Did you get settled in fine?"

I nodded, trying to look convincing. "Yup. So what's going on today?"

"Well, first of all, I want to introduce you to the kingdom's head records keeper, Arthur. He's been assisting Oren in dealing with the governmental matters while I was away."

Arthur shook my hand. "Pleasure to meet you milady." And had I not heard the conversation of last night, I might not have noted the hardness in his tone, or the unfriendly squeeze he gave to my hand. Or maybe I was just imagining it?

"Okay before we do anything, I want to make it clear that everyone _seriously _needs to drop the titles. I'm just MK."

"Well, pardon me miss, but you are in a very high position in this city. It would be more adequate to accept the title." Oren said, causing me to roll my eyes. Tarren just smiled sheepishly from behind, before clearing his throat.

"Alright, well the first order of business is matters of the introductory ball." I noticed how much more refined he acted when he was here. And I'd thought he'd acted dignified in Moonhaven...

"Oh um yeah about that. Uh I _really _don't think it's necessary to throw an entire party. I mean, like I said, it's just me."

I saw Arthur chuckle mockingly, and grit my teeth to avoid saying something I'd regret. The last thing I needed him to think was that I was rude as well as selfish...

Tarren simply laughed, and led me out of the throne room through a humongous double doorway, onto a balcony that wrapped around the tree and out of sight.

"Mary Katherine, I don't think you quite understand how important the Lady of Destiny _is_. Several months ago, I announced to the entire city what was going on, and how I was going to leave for the lady and bring her back to save Willhollow.

Everyone knows about this prophecy, and they've all heard the stories of the Lady of Destiny. You're practically a living legend!"

I sighed exasperatedly. "Yeah okay I get it, she's important-"

"_You're _important." He corrected. I rolled my eyes and ignored the comment.

"But why do we have to throw a _party? _Like isn't that a bit...excessive?'

Arthur butted in at this point, much to my irritation. "Dear, you aren't seeming to grasp the situation. To these people, you are considered... well royalty." He mumbled something under his breath afterwards but I didn't catch it. Still I was sure it was insulting on some level.

Tarren nodded, obviously having missed Arthur's comment as well. "Exactly, and as royalty, you need a proper royal introduction."

I sighed. I could tell by the men's demeanor there was nothing I could say at the moment that was going to change their minds. I decided to drop it for now, and walked with Tarren around the backside of the balcony, which led down a staircase, and into the truck of Willhollow. I looked out over the edge, down into the hollow wood.

Words could not describe the view.

The entire city resided inside the tree truck, winding down. There were building and balconies, windows and doors cut all over the tree, where houses and shops resided, and the place was so alive. Large, wooden staircases wound down throughout the city, but were used very little. The flutter of wings and rings of angelic little voices rang throughout the tree, and the entire place glowed.

I couldn't even say 'wow' to this. It was just breathtaking. Tarren noticed my awe-struck expression and laughed. "It's something isn't it? C'mon, I'll show you around.'

This shook me out of my paralysis. "Uhh _yeah. _This is _**incredible!**_ How long did this place take for you guys to build?"

"Oh we didn't. The first Queen Jennora used her power to create this place."

My mouth fell open. "She built this _entire city?!" _

"Well nog single-handedly. She came here with a small party of fairies, who were branching away from the main fairy city miles from here. They all worked on it, but it took a lot of the queen's power to hollow out the tree and build the city."

"Wow..." Was all I could say, though I had about a zillion questions. Tarren must've assumed so, because he continued telling the story.

"Yeah. The place was dazzling. It wasn't quite as busy at first, but it didn't stay that way for long. See, Lady Jennora and a group of followers had left the Master City because rumors of the Boggan's plot to raid their kingdom had been spreading, yet the king of that land refused to prepare, believing nothing could penetrate their walls.

"Fearing for their lives, and frustrated at the Master King's ignorance, they left the city, and trekked out to find a new home. That's how they found the tree, and built the city."

"That's crazy." I said. "What happened to this Master City? Does it still exist?"

To this Tarren actually laughed. "The Boggans did attack, and destroyed everything. Those who could escape followed the renegades' trail to Willhollow, and were accepted with open arms. As for the Master City... it became the Boggan's kingdom, Wrathwood."

I gasped, realizing that was probably where Nod, Ronin, and I had broken Mub and Grub out of when I first came here. That had once been Willhollow's Master City?!

"Yeah, it crazy I know." Tarren empathized. "It was a horrible disaster, that ended up creating the new capitol of the forest. And since the king had been killed in the battle without an heir, the people made Jennora their queen.

I stood silent, starring out at the bustling city. With such an enclosed, connected kind of city, any disease that sprouted would spread like wildfire...

"Tarren I have to save this place..." I muttered. Tarren sighed.

"Trust me, we all do..."

We walked down throughout the city, and Tarren showed me the ropes. Most of the people lived up high, closer to the castle, while the shops and things resided lower, close to the ground. Tarren explained this was because the farmers stocked all the food and other things from the meadow and edges of the forest, so the marketplace being closer to the ground was simple logic.

The place was overall just gorgeous. The entire city seemed like a single, living entity, buzzing with liveliness as the fairies flitted about from place to place. Many of them grew even more excited with the arrival of their Prince Tarren, and the Lady of Destiny. Many people wanted to meet me and speak with me. It was all very strange.

"Geez this is more attention than I got even when I returned to Moonhaven..."

Tarren raised an eyebrow. "Returned?"

I explained about my last year of school, and coming to stay in Moonhaven for the summer. Tarren seemed surprised. "So you weren't staying there permanently? I mean I knew you had come from the human world, but I didn't know you still lived there."

"Oh yeah! No I live in a house nearby Moonhaven with my dad. He believed in the Leafmen longer than I ever did. I actually thought he was crazy for the longest time, until I came across the place myself."

Tarren smirked slightly. "Did he ever believe in fairies?"

I laughed. "No I don't think he ever considered fairies. Though I'm sure he'll flip when he finds out..." Then I sighed. I really needed to talk to my dad, and tell him about all this. I was worried though, about how he was going to take it all...

"You miss him don't you." Tarren said, and it wasn't a question. I shrugged.

"Yeah, I mean of course I do, but...I _love _being here. In the forest I mean. It just feels... _right _to me."

Tarren looked at me, a sort of determined look in his eyes. "It's because you _belong _here..."

I looked up at him, sighing. "Tar-"

"_Tarren!_" We suddenly heard a voice call, and turned to see a little head of golden curls fluttering towards us, silvery wings fluttering. The princess wore a soft blue dress with three-quarter sleeves and lace. Her ringlets were tied up in a blue ribbon, and bounced as she flew over to us.

Tarren chuckled. "Good morning Jenni. How are you?"

"I'm great! Isabelle let me go watch the Leafmen training! They're so cool!"

That suddenly snapped my thoughts to Nod. I had totally forgot about him!

"Oh gosh. Where are they right now?" I asked Tarren, whose face had fallen just the slightest. He tried to brighten his smile before I saw, but I still noticed. "They're down by the meadow. C'mon I'll take you to then."

And with that, the three of us traveled down the tree, watching the wide-eyed, awe-struck stares of passersby. They all seemed shocked, and thrilled to see me, and to find the rumors of my arrival to be true.

As I walked, I also heard talk of the party tonight. "I can't wait to see the Lady of Destiny all dressed up!" I heard a girl a few years younger than me say to her friend, their wings twitching as they moved, as if alive.

"Yeah! I bet she's going to look absolutely beautiful." The other one said, before whispering. "I heard there's a... complication though. Ava told me _she _heard that the Lady of Destiny was actually in a relationship with another Leafman when Prince Tarren found her."

The first girl gasped, before continuing. I didn't listen though. I was irritated at stupid gossip and rumors, but almost more irritated with this ridiculous "introductory party"

"Tarren?" I said, grabbing his arm. "Look I know you want to have this party and all, but I honestly would have _no _idea what to do or how to act or _anything. _I don't even know how to dance! And I absolutely _**hate **_dresses."

To my surprise, Tarren laughed. "Want to know a secret?"

Slightly suspicious, but still very intrigued, I nodded.

He leaned in close to my ear and whispered. " I absolutely loathe parties too."

I let out a surprised laugh, not expecting that answer at all. "Really? But aren't you Mr. Prince? The popular guy? I would've thought parties would be your thing."

However, right as the words left my mouth, I realized how untrue they really were. Despite Tarren being a ruler of Willhollow, and having to interact and care for the people, he did seem like the kind of guy who cherished some alone time. I could totally see how he wouldn't enjoy a party.

"It's true. The commotion and all the people, all the activity. It's just exhausting. I usually try to escape as soon as possible."

I laughed. "Well wouldn't _I _know how you feel? I'm the exact same way..." Then I paused a moment, before adding. "Guess it's good to know we have more in common than just... you know, being destined to get married and stuff..." and trailing off at the end. We both looked away from each other, and I mentally kicked myself for being so damn awkward.

Eventually we made our way to the bottom of the three and found the real roots of Willhollow, metaphorically, _and _literally. The people down there were in charge of gathering food and making all the supplies necessary for the people of Willhollow to live. It was in it's own way, more magical than the city higher up.

"Mk!" I suddenly heard a voice call out my name, a voice I knew so well. I looked in the direction, through a large arched-root doorway, and saw Nod standing outside the tree, waving to me.

I turned to Tarren. "Can I go please?"

Tarren smiled, though it was thick with sadness. I felt a twinge of guilt. "Sure. Just be sure to meet back at the castle in an hour. We have some things to discuss."

I thanked the prince, before turning to run towards the Leafmen, when suddenly I heard a loud voice calling after me. I turned to see a couple of soldier fluttering down towards us.

"Lady Mary Katherine, Captain Oren has requested to meet with you as soon as possible, discussing a group of suspicious fairies near the area."

I was confused for a moment, before I remember those thugs who had tried to pick me off in the woods on our way here. That had to be what they were talking about.

I nodded my head to the soldier. "I'll be right there," before turning back to Nod, who now looked a_ little_ less enthusiastic...

_(Nod's POV)_

As the soldiers flew down to MK's level and began speaking with her, I could feel a creeping loneliness grow inside me a bit. Mk nodded to the men, before looking towards me, an apologetic expression gracing her features. I felt my shoulders slump.

She sighed and shouted to me. "I'm sorry! I'll find you later, I promise!" I gave her my best smile, and she smiled back, that special glowing smile that she saved just for me, before taking off with Tarren...

I sighed, turning away and tending to my bird again. Suddenly I heard someone clear their throat. Turning, I came face to face with a man I hadn't seen around here before. He was fairly burly, with gingery hair, lighter than MK's, and a pair of glasses perched on the edge of his nose. Definitely the typical, stingy Willhollow fairy.

"If you're looking for our general, Ronin's up speaking with your guys'captain." I said, only half paying attention as I began tightening the straps of my bird's saddle. The man didn't speak, and after a moment or two of awkward silence, I groaned and turned back to him.

"Okay is there something you want from-"

"You're him aren't you?" He suddenly cut me off, causing me to blink a few times.

"Umm...?"

"You're the Moonhaven boy who is currently with the Lady of Destiny, correct?"

Now, realizing what this was about, I sighed, and turned away again. "Yes, and the name's Nod, not 'the Moonhaven Boy'"

The man huffed softly. "I'm Arthur, the head records keeper of Willhollow. Listen... Nod was it? As you have heard, this place is desperate for a cure to this epidemic that is soon to strike. There is only one way to heal Willhollow, and that is with the Lady of Destiny as our queen."

I sighed. "Listen pal, I don't care what you people say you _need _okay? Mary Katherine is _mine."_

"And are you willing to sacrifice an entire kingdom to keep her? Do you think _she'd _be willing to do that?"

I faltered, knowing how awful that sounded. I knew MK would never do anything to hurt innocent people, but still, I wasn't prepared to lose her...

Arthur sighed. "Alright boy I'm going to make this nice and simply. I am requesting, as a man desperate to save his home, that you do what's best for Willhollow, and Lady Mary Katherine, and leave her here with us."

I didn't speak for a moment, getting a feel for his words. This man was right about one thing, and that was that if there was no other way to save these people, MK would want to do what was right for Willhollow, despite not wanting to leave us.

I looked down. "There has to be another way to fix things here, because there's no way in hell I'm leaving her here..."

Arthur sighed. "Look boy, I'm the head of all records here. If there were any other way for this condition to be reversed, then I would be the first to know."

Growing irritated, I spat. "Well maybe-"

"Maybe you need to think about what's best for _everyone? _Including Lady Mary Katherine...?"

I had to hold back a growl. "I _am_ thinking of her..."

"Are you?" Arthur questioned. "_Think_ about it boy. I mean, look around you! This place is a paradise, and much more spectacular than your rustic _Moonhaven _could ever be_. _Don't you think the Lady of Destiny would deserve as much? To be a queen? Or would you rather keep her all to yourself, even if it meant holding her back?"

I felt my gaze fall to the ground, absorbing all his words that happened to be the sane ones I'd spoke to myself before when this all started. She _did _deserve more than a simple Leafman could offer her. She deserved every great thing that the world could offer...

She deserved to be a queen...

Arthur, who must've noted the way his words were breaking me down, put a hand on my shoulder. I was too lost in my broken thoughts to knock it away.

"I know it's difficult kid, but if you really love this girl as much as I've heard you do, you'll do what is the very best for her, even it that means giving her up."

And with that, the man walked back towards the tree, leaving me silent, alone, and sure of nothing...

* * *

**... DDDDDD'XX Nod baby don't listen to him he doesn't know what he's talking about! XDD Ugh this chapter made me so sad when I wrote it. I remember listening to super depressing music too...**

**Unfortunately it **_**is **_**going to get worse before it gets better. You'll just have to see what happens next time though. - _.-**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	20. Do the Right Thing

**Okay... so I went and saw Frozen last night with some friends... To sum up my reaction, during the credits I was lying on the ground, in front of the movie screen **_**in fetal position, **_**on the verge of crying. Literally **_**ONE. OF. THE. BEST. **_**Disney movies I have seen i R...**

_**SO **_** good...**

**Anyways, I've officially come to the conclusion that I just **_**can't **_**update everyday! I have too much live living to deal with! So to make up for keeping you waiting, I'm going to post**

**Not one**

**Not two...**

**But **_**THREE CHAPTERS TODAY!**_

**... And then after that it will just be every few days or so. I can't do it every day though guys. I wish I had the time but school and life is just too much...**

**So yeah, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

**Do the Right Thing**

_(Mk's POV)_

"So milady, I wish to discuss what I've learned from Prince Tarren about the men you encountered in the forest."

I nodded, mentally cringing at the memory. That was awful...

Oren continued. "Well considering the men have been spotted closer to Willhollow then we were previously aware of, there's going to be a bit more security around the palace, and for your safety, we're requesting that you try and stay with an escort as often as you can."

I contemplated this. The fact that those freaks were getting closer made me a little edgy, but with all Willhollow's soldiers, as well as Nod, Ronin, and the other Leafmen, I was sure we'd be fine.

"Alright. Is that it?"

Oren suddenly froze, as if deciding whether he should go forward with something, before he suddenly let out a deep breath, the kind that told me exactly what he was going to say. I could feel a combination of guilt and irritation stir in my chest. Still, I remained quiet.

"Listen Milady... We need to discuss... this current situation,"

Sighing, I turned away from the general, feeling unsure about how I was going to react to this; almost unstable.

"With all due respect sir, there's not much to discuss. I came, I'm here, and I'll do whatever I can to save this place."

"But you refuse to remain, and fulfill your duty as the Lady of Destiny," he said with a hint of the high and mighty sneer she'd heard last night. "Simply because you don't want to give up your comfortable little life in Moonhaven, correct?"

Getting pissed off at this point I spun around, and stubbornly stared him down.

"No, because _no _one should be expecting to willingly drop _**everything **_for people they'd never heard of! Yeah I'm sorry I have a life and family and world outside of this, okay? Sorry I wasn't some enchanted princess just conveniently waiting to leave my _entire life _behind me, and run off to marry a man _I'd never met before. _Is that what you were expecting?"

"I was expecting you to have a heart for these people in need! I mean what do you expect us to tell them?! "I'm sorry, I know you were all expecting someone to come and save you from being completely _wiped out _by a vicious plague, but I'm afraid the only person who could help us would rather look out for themself alone. Hardly makes you worthy of the title and gifts you've been given, for _God _knows what reason!"

At this remark I was surprised hot steam wasn't whistling out of my ears. I began stomping towards the man furiously as I spoke. "Oh how ironic that you're argument is that I only care about myself?! Sounds _exactly _like what you guys and your disgusting king did years ago, doesn't it?"

To this Oren seemed confused, and I realized he must not have known about what the King of Willhollow said that day. "Years ago, there was a Boggan attack on Moonhaven. Nod, at eight years old, ran through pouring rain trying to find you guys to help them. When he asked your precious king, Tarren's father told him straight up to get out 'his high and mighty presence.' Only cared about number one I guess, right?"

To this Oren said nothing, giving me the impression that I had won this round. Feeling satisfied for the moment, I headed for the hallway, but right as I was about to enter the hallway, Oren spoke one more time.

"I'm warning you _Milady. _If the people of Willhollow are harmed because you wouldn't act soon enough, you're probably going to regret ever having _heard _of Willhollow."

I closed my eyes, my fists clenched so tight my nails were digging into the flesh of my palms. Still, I took a deep, detoxifying breath, and spun around.

"Alright, as much as you think you can threaten me, _I'm _not the one desperate for a hero, so don't think for a _second, _that _**any**_ of this is on your terms. Next time you have a bone to pick with me, say it to my face instead of muttering about it before some fireplace with your little friend, Arthur."

And with that, I stormed out the doors into the hallway, more pissed than I'd been this entire trip. Geez, it only took one heated conversation to completely ruin my entire day. How wonderful.

I sighed though, slowing as I reached a stairwell, and sat down on the first couple of steps, resting my chin on my hand. It was cruel of me to misuse my power here. I mean, these people were _desperate. _Who was I to try and reduce them to begging?

I hadn't realized how lost in thought I had been, until I felt a presence quite near to me. I turned and saw Jenni standing up higher on the staircase, one hand holding the post of the stair rail. She looked curious and yet sad. I wondered what condition I appeared to be in.

"Oh, hi your highness. I didn't see y-"

"You can just call me Jenni." She said softly. Her voice had this naturally innocent ring to it, like a Christmas bell. It made me wish to hear her sing.

I nodded. "Alright Jenni."

She smiled. "May I join you? You look rather sad and I thought I'd keep you company."

I smiled in return and patted the stair next to me. Her grin widened as she walked down gracefully and lowered herself to the step. We didn't speak for a moment or two, but simply sat and enjoyed each other's company. Like Tanya, Princess Jennora was someone I would probably have wanted to get to know better, if I were to stay here...

I sighed, and buried my face in my hands. With all the confusion and mental ties I was creating here, the line between what I was going to do next was becoming blurrier and blurrier. Soon I felt like the stress of it all was going to crush me like an elephant's foot.

I glanced over at the princess, who was staring at her hands as her fingers twiddled away, her eyes looking curious and distant. They were so clear and pure that it almost looked like watery orbs instead of eyes. I thought of the encounter of a couple nights ago, when I'd seen her sneaking down the hallway, tears in her eyes...

"Why were you crying that night?" I suddenly blurted out before I could stop myself. She looked up, confusion evident in her silver orbs.

"What night?"

I explained how I had decided to explore around that evening, and had seen her sneaking down the halls, crying. "What did you hear those guys talking about?" I asked.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "They said... They said I was going to die..."

I froze. My heart felt like a wet paper towel that some heavy weight had just torn through. I knew I should've been mentally prepared for this. Hadn't I already known that people were going to die without me? And Oren had explained that the princess was going to get ill once more, and that sort of implied that it would be fatal.

Still, the fact that they had clearly stated that she was going to die made me sicker than I thought was possible from a simple sentence.

Jenni continued when I didn't speak, still frozen from nausea. "They said that since I had already gotten sick, I was going to be one of the first people to die of the illness, when it returned. And they said it _was _going to return..."

"Jenni..." I trailed off, unable to fathom what I could _possibly _say to ease her pain. Then she did something that completely shocked me.

She smiled.

"It's alright I guess. I mean, I cried when I first heard because it was scary. Who wouldn't be afraid of dying? It's terrifying. But... I'm trying not to be scared anymore. I mean, Tarren and the other Willhollow soldiers all put their lives at risk by fighting in an army. And my brother left home for months trying to save us all. The least I can do is be strong for him and-Oh!"

The cause of the little girl's cry was me suddenly pulling her into a hug. Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I buried my face into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Jenni!" I choked out, my voice cracking from the tears. "It's all my fault! None of this would be happening if I could just do the right thing..."

Small arms wrapped back around me, making me cry harder. This girl should've hated me. It _was _because of me that the people of Willhollow, _her _people, still had to fear for their lives, that a sweet, twelve year old little girl had to try and be strong after discovering she could die. It was _all _my fault.

"It's okay Mary Katherine." Jenni tried to comfort, but I wasn't taking any of it.

"Of course it's not! I'm just a selfish, horrible person..."

Jenni pulled away from me and looked up with shinning silver eyes. "Well that's not entirely true. I mean, think of Nod."

My reddened eyes creaked open.

"Nod?"

"Yeah. I mean, he really loves you doesn't he? You'd be hurting him if you stayed. And everyone else at Moonhaven. So you're not being selfish. You're thinking of them too."

I did my best to smile, even though her words just hurt me more. Not only did they point out how many people I was going to hurt no matter _what _I did, but it made me realize how I was being even _more _selfish than I'd though. I hadn't been thinking of Ronin or the Leafmen or Moonhaven at all. I'd just been thinking about_ me_ and how _I_ was going to be affected...

Still, I saw the spark of hope in the girl's eyes, and I knew how much she was trying to help me. It made me want to cry harder because it was so much more than I deserved.

I let out a deep breath, releasing whatever built up emotions were left, and pulled away from the princess, doing my best to smile.

"Thank you for trying to cheer me up Jenni." Then I looked her right in the eyes. "I promise, I am _not _going to let you die, okay?"

She smiled. "Thank you Mary Katherine."

We were then shortly interrupted by Miss. Isabelle. She rushed down the stairs, and stopped completely upon discovering us at the base.

"Oh- Why Mistress Jennora! I have been searching everywhere for you!" She said exasperatedly, before rushing down and helping the princess up. I stood as well, feeling extremely self-conscious as I desperately tried to wipe the tear stains from my cheeks.

"I'm sorry Isabelle. I was just speaking with Lady Mary Katherine. I'll come up now."

"Indeed you will! You should've taken your medicine at least an hour ago. Now come along!"

As they hurried along, Jenni snuck me one last wave goodbye, before disappearing up the stairwell.

I sank back down; feeling completely drained of... of well anything. Energy, emotion. I could barely think straight. It was then that I realized who I really needed to see. But before I could take off to find him, Isabelle called down to me.

"And Milady," She said, "The maids need to see you. It's regarding a few things for the introductory ball in a few days."

I groaned under my breath, wishing for just five minutes to put this whole royalty thing behind me, but I knew this would have to be dealt with sooner or later. So, I let out a deep breath, before grudgingly standing and hauling myself up the stairs. There would be time later... hopefully.

* * *

**Guys... Literally if you haven't seen frozen yet, just _go._ I just... oooooh so good...**

**Like it was the first animated film i had EVER watched where i couldn't think of a good fan-fiction to fill in everything I'd missed in the film. There was nothing _to _miss it was like Hunger Games! Fan-fiction was not worthy enough for this movie!  
**

**Still I'll probably get sacked by a plot bunny soon enough and start writing a story for it. I'm already starting a Rise of the Guardians fanfic, but I'm warning you my writing is _SLOW GOING _so don't expect a new story _any _time soon. Just... be content with the next two chapters!**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	21. Be Happy

**Well here's the second chapter today! A couple of you have been waiting for this one so I hope it appeases you... slightly.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 21:**

**Be Happy**

_(Nod's POV)_

"Ugh, do we really have to be out this early?" I whined.

Ronin rolled his eyes as I yawned and slouched my shoulders. It was almost five in the morning, and completely ridiculous that I was walking around the castle at such an awful hour.

"Yeah we do Nod. There've been more sightings of those guys we ran into back in the forest, and we have to keep a lookout for them. Now I'm gonna go scout the top level. Make sure things are clear here. Everything has to be in place for tonight."

I sighed, turning away from my general. "Right..."

Today was the day that the stupid fairies were throwing a ball for "Lady Mary Katherine". It was the only thing I had been hearing people talk about for the last few days, and it was _really _starting to annoy. "

"These people," I started _"Obviously _don't know MK at _all _if they expected her to..." I trailed off though, because I caught sight of a moving shadow out of the corner of my peripheral vision. Narrowing my eyes, I slowly began to creep around the corner, trying to be as silent as possible while unsheathing my sword. When I had gotten to the corner, I took a deep breath, before jumping around and pointing my sword towards whoever was creeping around the castle.

"Don't move!" I yelled.

"AHH!" Came an all too familiar scream from the person now pinned to the wall. I immediately lowered my sword. "MK?"

The redhead sighed with relief. "Geez you almost made me pee myself!"

"Baby, what are you doing out here, it's five in the morning." I said, exasperated. She took a deep breath, looking around as if checking for unwanted listeners, before turning back to me.

"Alright... I'm trying to sneak out to talk to my dad. These people have been watching me like hawks for days and _refuse _to let me go, saying it's 'too dangerous'. Can you help me find a bird and get out of this place? I _really _need to see him right now."

I contemplated this for a moment. I understood why she wanted to go so badly. I would too if it were my dad... But with the threat out there, even I had to admit it probably wasn't the best idea.

"MK, I really wish I could help you, but... as much as I hate to say it, and I _really _hate to say it, those people are kinda right. It's really not safe to be in the woods by yourself. Maybe I could go with you or-"

"Nod please! You saw what I did with my power?! If they show their sorry faces, they're gonna be hearing it from me" She begged taking my hand. I could see the desperation in her wide green eyes. "I _really _just need to talk to him right now, and I need to go by myself. Will you _please _help me...?"

She leaned in close, her lower lip sticking out in a small pout, green eyes filled with some mischievous glint. I had to swallow back a nervous lump before I spoke. "MK I _really _don't think-"

"Please?" She whispered, her breath hitting my face she was so close. I took a deep breath, trying to stand my ground, but she did have a point. Whatever she had done in the forest that day could outmatch anything those guys hcoming.

Eventually, not being able to take it any longer, I gave up. "Oh fine!"

"Yes!" She squealed, causing me to rolled my eyes. She was just as horrible as I was.

"C'mon, I'll show you the way. I think Ronin ran into one of your dad's... camera thingies, not too far off."

And with that, we both snuck off to get Mk to her dad...

_(MK's POV)_

"Ugh. Oh come on! _Work _you stupid hunk of metal!" I yelled, pounding my first on the still camera. The early rays of morning were peaking through the trees, but they didn't help to brighten my mood, as the machine strapped up in the branches refused to turn on.

I groaned, plopping down on the branch. "Great. The first camera of dad's that I find for like a mile, and it's _dead._"

Sighing, I stood back up and tried for the billionth time to get the stupid tin heap to turn on. It was obvious how little action it had ever gotten by how rusted and dirt-coated it was. The fairies must've never had a run-in with my father, or decided it was better to hide from the man rather than throw off his trail like the Leafmen had.

I took out Nod's knife, which he had insisted I still carry with me despite having my powers, and tried to pry the door to the battery compartment with it. It was severely jammed from all the muck and rust, but after an exhausting effort, I was eventually able to loosen the door, and open it up.

"Ah, _finally" _I sighed with relief. Dad had taught me how to fix one of these in case one ever went down by Moonhaven, so it only took a moment or two to clear out the gunk and get it running again. It seemed fairly functional, despite the weather damage, for which I was grateful. I really needed to talk to my dad now...

After starting the camera back up, I set off the motion sensor, and waited for a minute or two. Despite the earliness, my dad _never _missed a sensor going off, and would no doubt answer.

As I predicted, within a few moments, the screen came to life, revealing the image of my father, still groggy from just waking up. Of course once he got his glasses on and saw who it was, he sprung to life.

"Ohhh-Oh! Mary Katherine! Oh it's so good to see you!" He said, over excited as usual. My tired, early-morning smile widened.

It wasn't until I had seen his face or heard his voice that I realized how much I really had missed my father.

I laughed. "It's really great to see you too. Sorry I haven't talked in a while, but I've been pretty busy and umm..." Then I trailed off, realizing I wasn't at_ all_ prepared to explain any of this to him. Of course, he began speaking rapidly before I could continue.

"Yeah I'll say. That's one the oldest sensors I have! What are you doing all the way out there?"

I sighed, "Well..." Ugh, how on earth was I even supposed to _begin?! _I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Dad do you believe in fairies?"

My father blinked a couple times, obviously not expecting the question. "Well umm... Yes I suppose. I mean I've never really thought about it before, although I guess I probably should have considering the Leafmen and such, and they would be very similar to-"

"Dad!" I shouted, knowing that if I hadn't spoken up, he would've continued for an hour. Realizing this, he stopped. "But umm yes, I guess I do."

"Okay well... It'ssss _kinda _a long story..."

And with that, I began to tell my dad the whole story, from when I ran into the Willhollow soldiers, to now. I tried leaving out the sketchy parts like when I almost got kidnapped on the way there, and the records keeper talking about keeping me held hostage.

Usually, it wasn't difficult at all to figure out what my father was thinking, but as I told him the story, his face remained unreadable, which made me worry that he wasn't taking this very well.

"So now these people are going to die if someone doesn't help them, but the only way I can do anything is to get _married!" _I said, praying this wouldn't set him off. I didn't expect him to get angry of course, but usually a father would've been babbling about how there was no way this was going to happen and that I should come home immediately.

He was silent as a stone.

"I mean, Tarren's a nice guy and all, but there's no way I could possibly _marry _him... At least... At least that's what I'd thought. But now I'm seeing all these people who desperately need my help! They'll _**die **_if I don't do something! But Nod... I couldn't leave him! I just... I just couldn't _do _that... Ugh..." I finally leaned my head into my hands, pinching my eyes shut. " I don't know _what _to do anymore..."

We stayed silent for a long time. I just wanted this all to go away. I wanted to fly away from this place with Nod and never look back...

But I knew that wasn't true. There were people here that needed me. I didn't want to abandon them.

My dad still didn't speak for a moment, but when he did, it wasn't much help.

"Well that umm... that sounds like a pretty big problem down there."

I rolled my eyes. "Umm _yeah!_ That's why I'm going to you dad. What do I do?!"

"Well uh-"

"I mean," I cut in. "All life-and-death aside... what would you think about... about the whole... Marrying thing? Leaving home and stuff?"

My dad leaned back in his chair, thinking about it, while I bit my lip nervously. Finally, he replied. "Well MK... You're always going to be my baby girl, and that's okay... But you are nineteen now and... Well as difficult as it would be to let you go, I believe you should have the ability to go out there and make your own choices..."

My eyes widened. What...? That was it? No 'Oh you're too young' or 'I don't even know him's? _Nothing? _

"Dad, are you serious? Like you'd be cool with this. _Seriously?_"

"Well yes I suppose, but MK... Things like this, they have to be done for the right reasons. And I'm not talking about saving someone's life, because personally I think that could probably be fixed by other means than becoming a queen. As a matter of fact _I _could probably have come up with something if I ever went down there to investigat the problem more or maybe I could-"

"_Dad!"_

My father sighed. "What I'm getting at honey is that... Whatever you end up doing, I just want to make sure that you're happy. That's all I want you to do. Be happy."

I smiled, feeling a tug on my heart. Nothing would've made me happier than to feel the loving hug of my father, but with the miles of forest, and sheer size difference separating us, I knew it was impossible. Instead, I softly placed my hand on the screen. "Thank you Dad... I really miss you..."

"I miss you too sweetheart..."

It felt like eons, though it was probably only a moment or two, before I turned towards the sunlight and realized it was later than I'd anticipated. The people in the castle had probably figured out that I was gone by now.

"Ugh. Great... Sorry Dad! I'd love to stay and talk more, but if I don't get back soon, the guys are gonna start freaking out."

My dad smiled, understandingly, before straightening up in his chair. "Alrighty well umm I guess I'll see you later Mary Katherine-Ooh!-I mean MK."

I smiled. "Mary Katherine's fine too dad. I love you. I'll try and talk soon, but I might be busy. There's supposed to be this ball I'm going to."

"Oh gosh that ought to be interesting." Dad laughed, causing me to raise my eyebrow accusingly. He put his hands up in apologetic surrender. "I'm sorry dear I know you're not much a party person. Good luck though!"

I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. "Thanks. Bye dad!" and with that, the screen then shut off, and I saw my own face in the reflection. I observed the face starring back at me, and noted that she looked tired, less energetic than she usually was in the morning, and extremely stressed out.

I sat down on the tree branch, reveling in my father's words. _Be happy _he had said. I sighed. Somehow I felt that was going to be easier said than done. With so many people's lives at stake, how could I afford to think so selfishly? Still, I knew my father had good intentions with those words.

"Alright dad, I'll try my best to be happy..." I said aloud, though no one but my bird and the early morning breeze could hear. Then, I let out a deep breath, and remounted my bird, ready to head back to Willhollow...

_(Nod's POV)_

"You did _**what?!" **_Tarren shouted at me, his blue eyes ablaze. I sighed, wishing he'd stop screaming at me. It was too early for yelling. Although, I was kind of glad to finally get under that uptight skin of his.

"I let her leave Willhollow to go talk to her dad." I said indifferently. This only seemed to enrage him more.

"Do you even realize what an utter _moron_ you are?!" The prince shouted in my face. "What do you think happens if one of those goons find the Lady of Destiny out there? She's GONE! _Just _like that!"

"Look you think I don't know that?!" I shouted back. "She said she wanted to go alone, or else I would've gone with her. Besides, I've seen her use those... Lady of Destiny powers before. If those guys showed up she'd blast 'em to kingdom come! She's a big girl and she can take care of herself."

Tarren shook his head in total, frustrated disbelief. "I can't believe this... Ugh I should blame myself for not making sure she was watched more carefully..."

I rolled my eyes. "Dude don't you realize you were watching her too _much?! _You guys are suffocating her, and trust me that doesn't work with MK. I've tried before... Besides it's not you job to watch her anyways! It's mine."

"Yeah?" Tarren asked, getting right into my face. "Well maybe you should try doing your job a little better? Who's fault is it gonna be if she gets hurt out there, huh?"

I sighed, before looking him right in the eyes. "Technically it would be your fault for coming to Moonhaven in the first place. They're people from _your_ kingdom that are hunting her down, isn't it? Maybe you should've stayed away from all of us?" I threatened right back.

"Nod, I had no _choice! _Willhollow needed her to-"

I groaned. "Look this isn't about Willhollow, alright?! This is about MK. Don't act like you only want her to stay to save your precious home 'kay? I've _seen _the way you are with her, and I want it to _end."_

Tarren's eyes widened, and I wondered for a moment if he himself hadn't realized that he had fallen for her? It was possible... But it didn't matter because no matter what was up with him, I wasn't letting him take her away from me.

Tarren's eyes were now pinned to the ground, refusing to meet mine, and I knew that he knew. He knew and he was guilty about it. "I don't... Ugh. I'm sorry Nod. I just..."

I sighed, taking a step back. "I mea, in a way... I guess I can't blame you..." I muttered, causing the prince to look up at me, surprised. "What do you...?"

I continued. "MK... She's... She's just the most incredible person I've ever known and... I wouldn't blame someone else for falling for her..."

Then I breathed out, determined to get this across to him. "That doesn't change anything though. She's still with me and I intend to keep it that way."

Tarren finally met my eyes, but before he could speak, we heard a voice call, and both turned to see the very girl in question, flying towards us on her sparrow, and waving, a large smile gracing her lips. I smiled, but Tarren only seemed to frown more.

"Hey guys!" She said happily as she landed near the two of us and hopped off. "What's up?"

Tarren scoffed. "What's up? What's _up? _You just ran off into the woods _by yourself, _where there's a troop of men trying to break into our home and _kidnap _you! What do you think is up!?"

MK's light facial expression was quickly replaced by a guilty cringe. "I'm sorry Tarren, but I had to go see my dad. It's been a while and I'd had a lot on my mind."

Tarren sighed, "I understand that Mary Katherine, but with the things going on right now, it probably wasn't the _best _call." He glared in my direction with the last few words, causing me to put my hands up defensively.

MK rolled her eyes. "Oh c'mon. It wasn't _Nod's _idea. It was mine! You don't to get all up on him about it."

Tarren just continued glaring at me as if I'd tried to sell her off to those rogue fairies myself, before turning away. "Whatever. Anyways Isabelle's been meaning to speak with you. Some things concerning this evening."

This news wiped the smile right off MK's face. Her shoulders slouched softly, and I felt a little sympathetic. "Got it." She said glumly, before walking off towards her bedroom, where there would no doubt be waiting a freaking army of maids to dress her up like a princess.

I smiled in spite of myself. Despite feeling sorry for her, I could not _wait _to see that...

* * *

**Okay... I know there are bound to be a few of you who are like "Ugh that's so dumb her dad would **_**never **_**just be okay with that!" And yeah in retrospect it isn't the most **_**ideal **_**reaction, but frankly it was the only way to keep the story from falling apart to me...**

**And honestly I _could_ see her dad being that way simply because he's **_**him!**_** He wouldn't get all defensive about it because it's not in his nature to flip out about things that way.**

**But whatever it's my story. I DO WHAT I WANT!**

**Anyways we only have one more chapter for today, and... it's a pretty nutzo one, so good luck...**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	22. Just Done

**Hehehe *****nervous laughter* okay sooooo... you guys know how I kept saying it's going to get worse before it gets better. Well...**

**...**_**This is the part where it gets worse.**_

**And it will progressively _continue _to get worse until the great ANTI-CLIMAX. **

**You know the part of any great story where everything is at an all-time low? Yeah, **_**that's **_**the part we're finally getting to. But guys every great story **_**needs **_**that part! So victory can be that much sweeter!**

**So just...breathe okay? Everything's going to be fine.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

**Just Done**

_(MK's POV)_

"Ugh!" I groaned as Tanya pulled the bundle of flouncing fabric over my head. It felt softer than flower petals, but was somehow restrictive as it formed a dress over my body. I had already been in this room all day, either getting my fifth dress option fitted or being taught how to behave and dance, the latter of which I still failed miserably at. This night was going to be a disaster...

Tanya smiled apologetically. "Sorry Milady. I'm trying to be as gentle as possible, but Miss Isabelle made it very clear that you were to wear _this_ dress."

I rolled my eyes and muttered under my breath. "Yeah well Miss Isabelle can go suck it for all I care..." To which Tanya giggled, but then pretended she hadn't heard. I smiled. Yes, I think we would've become great friends if I were to stay here.

I sighed, playing nervously with my fingers. Tanya gave me a sympathetic half-smile. "I understand how hard this must be. I couldn't even imagine going in front of all those people. I'm not nearly refined enough."

I groaned, stepping off the stool and beginning to channel my nerves by ranting.

"Yeah well that's just _one_ of my problems, along the huge amount of pressure everyone's throwing on me! I mean, they're all expecting this graceful, proper, beautiful princess that is completely open to settle down with their prince charming! And I just... I don't see how I could ever be that for them..."

Tanya didn't reply to this while she did my hair into am intricate side braid, before tucking little red flowers into a crown that went down and entwined into the braid. Then she applied some sort of creamy makeup that I could literally feel making my skin glow.

"Alright, there you go Milady! I believe you're all ready for a ball." Tanya said triumphantly, drawing me out of my thoughts once more. I took a deep breath before turning and looking into the mirror.

My jaw dropped to the floor.

The dress was a wine-red color, the bodice being made of a red rose petal that wrapped around my torso, with two off-shoulder sleeve straps drooping over my upper arms. The skirt was a calla lily of the same shade, creating a mullet-dress style, the top cutting off right at my knees. On my feet I had black, barefoot sandals with crystal beads, and black ribbons that wrapped up my legs like a vine, before ending below my knees.

I could only stare in complete shock. There was no way this was me. I could hardly recognize myself, standing there looking like royalty with this ridiculously gaudy dress. This just wasn't _me._...

"So what do you think?" Tanya asked excitedly. I could tell she put a lot of work into getting this together, so I did my best to look appreciative.

"It's really amazing. I... can believe I'm looking at myself..."

Tanya seemed to buy my act, and smiled, until she saw my face fall slightly

"What is it?" She asked

I sighed. "It's just... I don't _feel_ like a Lady of Destiny. I feel like Mary Katherine, the stomper girl trying to pretend to be some sort of _princess, _when she's _obviously _not cut out for it..."

Tanya didn't speak for a moment, and then took a deep breath.

"If I might be so bold... You've never tried acting elegant or proper when I've been around, and I still think you're lovelier than any princess could hope to be. Not just looks either, though you do look beautiful. You care so much about this place, even with that pointless feud between us and the Leafmen, and I think that speaks more than elegance ever could."

I smiled, feeling the emotions jerking at my heart. Not even sure what I could possibly say, I simply stepped towards the girl and wrapped my arms around in a heart-felt hug. Tanya seemed completely shocked.

"Thank you so much!" I said, trying to fight back tears. I heard her sigh and wrap her arms around me as well. "It really means lot Tanya.

She pulled back smiling. "Oh it's nothing Milady." Then she put her hands on my shoulders. "Alright! I'd say you're just about ready for a ball."

I sighed, feeling the extra boost already draining from me. "Huh. Wish I felt that way... Oh!" I called out, suddenly remembering something, rushing over to my backpack, I reached into the side pocket and pulled out the moon necklace Nod had given to me. I had almost forgotten it.

I clasped the brown cord around my neck and admired the white stone in the mirror. It went exceedingly well with the dress, something I was glad about. I needed something to remind me of home, and where I truly belonged...

Tanya's laugh leading me out the door and down the hallway to the staircase I had snuck up the night I overheard Tarren and the other men.

We walked down the balcony way, through another hallway, and ended in front of a tall, intimidating pair of double doors. Isabelle was waiting there, looking as serious as ever. There was a small hint of joy in her expression however as we grew closer.

"Alright Milady it seems like you're all ready. You look lovely by the way." The head maid added, bowing her head. Tanya's smile widened. "They're going to absolutely adore you Mary Katherine." She whispered in my ear. I smiled shyly, wishing I could feel such confidence.

Instead, I felt like I was about to throw up. Isabelle had already explained how this was going to go down. When I heard them announce my name, the doors were going to open, and I was going to walk down a long staircase and meet Prince Tarren at the base. He would then escort me to the dance floor and lead me in the first dance. Meanwhile _everyone _would be aiming _all _their attention on me.

It was easily going to be the most horrific moment of my life.

"Tanya I don't think I can do this..." I whispered, surprised I could even find my voice. Even then, it felt small, like the rest of me. I felt like a child, trying to wear my mommy's grown-up dresses and makeup. I just wasn't ready for it...

Tanya gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "You're going to do great."

Suddenly I heard some sort of horn instrument blare. "Alright." Isabelle said. "Here we go."

I took deep breaths, trying to slow my heart rate. It wasn't working. Tanya and Isabelle both stepped away as a man began reciting my introduction. I suddenly craved the comfort of my friend's hand in mine, but it was too late for that.

"Alright MK, you can do this..." I muttered to myself, though I wasn't sure if I bought it myself. "Just try and find Nod, and you'll be okay..."

Nod and the other Leafmen were supposed to working security at this thing, so I figured that if I could find him, if I could just see his face, I'd be okay.

"_Presenting, the Flower of Moonhaven! The Lady of Destiny, Lady Mary Katherine!" _The voice announced, and before I could blink the doors slowly swung open, revealing the bright light of the lively ballroom, filling with hundreds of eyes all fixated on me.

I wanted to freeze up. In fact, it took every last bit of sheer willpower to keep from doing it. Among the sea of faces, I couldn't find the one I needed to see most. I did however, catch sight of Tarren's face, smiling up at me and nodding reassuringly.

Taking a breath, I began walking down the steps, running Isabelle's instructions over in my head. _Good posture. Don't walk too quickly. Move with elegance. Smile._

As I looked over the crowd of people, I final caught sight of Nod. He was standing near doors that lead to the balcony, starring up at me with wide eyes, as if awestruck. It caused an embarrassing blush to break out across my face.

And then, as I neared the end of the staircase, I saw Tarren hold his hand out, and my nerves returned. I was supposed to dance with him now...

As I slid my arm to link with his, and he began walking me to the center of the room, I felt the waves of nausea coming back. I heard Tarren's voice discretely whisper. "Relax, breathe, it'll be over before you know it."

Through my teeth, I muttered back. "If I fall, it's all on you."

The prince of Willhollow held back a chuckle. "Naturally."

We found ourselves in the center of the room far too quickly in my opinion, and as we turned to face each other, I felt so shaky I swore my knees would collapse. I just needed everyone to _stop __**looking **__at me._

Tarren placed one hand at the small of my back, and took my hand with the other, and when the music began, he simply whispered. "Follow me."

And I did.

It was surprisingly easy. All I really had to do was work to stay upright, and Tarren took care of the rest, leading me across the dance floor with all the grace that you would expect from royalty.

As I twirled around the ballroom, with the Prince of Willhollow holding me so close, I began wondering how common these sorts of parties would be if I stayed? For a moment, I decided to step away from Moonhaven, and the life I had been living, and envisioned staying at Willhollow, with Tarren.

He was so unlike Nod that it was difficult to imagine at first, but I could picture it, wearing the lovely dresses and going to dances weekly, and being treated like a princess...

Then, as the song came to an end, and I went to bow, I caught sight of Nod. Standing, half hidden by a group of people, I could still make out the look on his face. Instead of anger or jealously, a look of sadness, almost defeat, graced his features.

I frowned, knowing how wrong this was to put him through. I smiled at him, trying to silently voice my thoughts across the room. How even though I was here with this boy, and how all these people expected me to stay there, that it would never be possible for me.

Because no matter how much glitter and glam you added to something, no matter how much people pushed, no matter how much they told me it was destiny.

It wouldn't be destiny without him.

_(Nod's POV)_

I sighed, strolling along the outskirts of the party, watching all the fairy folk dance and speak like they were _so _noble. As if they were above every other being in the forest.

It made me sick.

It also made me sick how I would get a rude glance or glare nearly every five minutes. Geez, I mean you'd think these people would at least _try _to be more hospitable, considering we were 'honored guests of the Lady of Destiny herself.' I sighed. Why on earth would they even bother? They never had before...

Suddenly, I could hear the sound of horns blaring through the ballroom as a fairly young man began announcing the arrival of Lady Mary Katherine. I perked up slightly to this. Finally! This party had grown so boring I thought I was going to pass out.

"_Presenting, the Flower of Moonhaven! The Lady of Destiny, Lady Mary Katherine!"_

And then, the double doors at the top of the stairs opened, revealing the girl behind them.

On second thought, maybe I _was _going to pass out.

Entering the ballroom from the large doors was an angel. A _literal _angel. The dark red dress just made everything about her look so... _alive. _So gorgeous. She was easily the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. As she smiled shyly out to the crowd, I could tell how nervous she was. Then her eyes met mine, and as a soft blush creeped over her cheeks, I swore I felt my heart stop for a second, before exploding once more.

Then, she reached the end of the staircase and took the hand of the blonde brat standing cockily at base of the stairs, and I felt my heart drop. It was torture standing there, watching _my _Mary Katherine literally dancing away with some other guy.

Some better guy...

"Enjoying the party Leafman?" I suddenly heard a voice, and turned to see that idiot Arthur that I'd run into a couple days ago. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you want now?" I said, gritting my teeth. Arthur simply shrugged, before looking out towards the two out on the dance floor, and smirked. I closed my eyes, so to keep from doing something I'd regret. Ronin wasn't there to hold me back, so I had to control myself on my own.

"So I take it you took into account what I said a while back, correct?" He stated smugly.

"What makes you say that?" I said, trying to keep my voice as level as possible.

"Oh, well it just seemed to me that you were watching as Tarren swept Lady Mary Katherine off her feet... Well I figured you'd given up, and finally done what was best for everyone."

I clenched my fist, fighting back the urge to drive it through his nose, and turned towards him. "Well you figured _wrong." _Then I turned back to MK, who was still dancing with the prince and looking almost... happy. I sighed. "I don't give up until she walks away..."

To this Arthur chuckled, to my immense irritation. "Well that day may be closer than you think boy. I think that Tarren may finally be getting a foothold on your dear Lady of Destiny there."

And with that, the man disappeared into the crowd, just as the dance ended. As MK bowed before Prince Tarren, Her eyes met mine, and they sparkled with an apologetic glint. I did my best to smile, even though I knew as well as anyone what was happening here.

Arthur was right. Tarren was getting a foothold, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop him anymore...

When the dance had ended and the empty space had been flooded with people again, causing me to lose my sight of MK, I continued strolling down the hall, before disappearing through an entry way and onto the balcony. I leaned against the railing and sighed.

"What am I doing here...?" I muttered to myself. I just felt so out of place; like Mk was trapped in the center of a mob of people, and I could squeeze through the crowd anymore..

"You know I was wondering the same thing..." I suddenly heard a soft voice, and turned my head to see the girl in question standing by the doorway. With the light of the moon shining down like soft blue sunlight, she looked illuminated.

"H-hey..." I mumbled, unable to form any other words, a blush starting to creep across my face and make me look down. She smiled, before strolling out to the edge of the balcony with me, capturing my hand in hers. "So what are you doing out here on your own Leafman?" She said, smirking. I smiled softly, my gaze resting on our clasped hands as I ran my thumb softly over hers.

"Just... Thinking, I guess."

"Aboooout?" She pushed, her face growing closer to mine. The moonlight shown down on her face, making her green eyes sparkle like stars. It took me a moment to gather my bearings, and when I did, all I could do was lean down and kiss her. I couldn't even speak. I just needed her lips on mine.

I raised my hand to cup her cheek, while her arms snaked around my neck, fingers playing with my hair. I smiled, feeling perfectly content to just stay there forever.

When we broke apart, I pressed my forehead to hers, arms now wrapped around, holding her as close as I could, as if afraid she would slip away. "Just thinking about how gorgeous you look."

This seemed to break the trance she was in, because she laughed, smacking my shoulder playfully. "Oh please. I was shaking like a cold puppy out there, I must've looked ridiculous."

I had to hold back my laugh, simply because I didn't want to offend her, but did she seriously think she looked anything _close _to ridiculous? I was about to protest when another slow song began to play. I smirked.

"Well if you though you did so bad, why don't you take a second go?" I said, holding my hand out. She raised an eyebrow.

"You know how to dance?"

I shrugged. "I thought it might come in handy some day, and apparently I was right? So are you in or not?" I asked, winking.

To this she rolled her eyes, before stepping close to me. I wrapped my arm around her, and we began slowly dancing, swaying to the slow music. MK smiled almost dreamily. I smiled, then thought of Tarren and grimaced.

"I'm sure this isn't like getting swept off your feet by fairy boy, but I'll do my best." I muttered, She sighed.

"Nod please try and grow up. It was nothing..."

I pulled away. "Yeah well it didn't look like nothing to me..." Then I walked back to the rail of the balcony and stared out.

MK remained where she was, dumbfounded. "Are you seriously...? Okay that's the last straw." She said suddenly. "Nod I understand where you've been coming from, and I have tried my _very _best to try and make this all easier for you, but I can't very well do that if a certain Leafman wont put on his big-boy pants and learn to accept things for a while!"

This set me off. "Accept what MK? Accept the fact that I literally just stood there and watched you stare dreamily into some other guys eyes while he twirled you across a dance floor?" I asked, my words dripping in bitter sarcasm. "No one should have to go through that."

Now MK was pissed as well. "Oh come _on! _Nod I didn't have a-"

"Didn't have a choice right?" I cut in. "Because you're the 'Lady of Destiny' and have all these crazy prophecies you've got to fulfill. Well if I think back on it, I don't remember any prophecy saying you _had _to fall in love with anyone."

MK's mouth fell open in complete shock, before she suddenly exploded. "Oh for the love of... Nod, I'm _not _in _**love **_with him! And if you would try not to be crazy jealous for _literally _five minutes, and pay closer attention, you could've figured that out!"

"Yea well I tried paying closer attention, and all I've found out is that lover boy's about as into you as you're _about_ to fall for him! So you can spout whatever crap you feel like but let me tell you, actions speak _way _louder than words."

"Well let's _hope _so, because the only words I've heard from_ your_ mouth recently have been jealous, angry, hateful retorts at me, at Tarren, at all of Willhollow! Like _seriously _Nod! Just try to put your stupid past arguments aside for a while, and stop trying to pick a fight with them every chance you _get!_ God these people are right sometimes you can be such _**barbarians!"**_

And suddenly, she froze, her eyes widened from the shock of her own words.

She had _way _crossed the line.

"Nod... oh my gosh Nod I... I mean I didn't-I didn't _mean_ that I just..." She tried forming some sort of apology, but I wasn't having it. She had gone way past 'sorry' at this point...

"No. Don't apologize _your highness_. I didn't realize I was disrespecting the_ high and mighty_ Lady of Destiny with my _lowly _presence."

"Nod stop it I didn't mean that I just-"

"No, no it's okay." I insisted. "I'm fine just playing bodyguard while you fall for someone else. Don't you have a party to be getting back to anyways? I'm sure the fairy folk are better company than me."

"Nod..." She said, her voice pleading. I shook my head, before giving her a mock bow.

"Good evening Milady. Hope you enjoy the rest of the night." I said, a bit too bitterly, but I didn't really care.

I was done with this. Done with _all _of this. Done with Tarren, done with Arthur, done with Willhollow, done with prophecies and destinies, and all of that crap.

I was done with her, done with _me..._

...I was done with us...

So I walked away from that balcony and stormed off towards who knows where...

I was just _done_...

* * *

**...TT_TT I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO GET WORSE! And that's not even the worst PART yet! Agh it's making me sad and I'm the one who **_**wrote **_**it...**

**Needless to say I'll be cry by the end of this story, but seriously guys just... mentally prepare yourselves for the next two chapters. They're gonna be... well in all honesty pretty awful...**

**Until Then...**

**~ Macy**


	23. Nothing but Emptiness

**Soooo here's part two of "It gets worse". See tonight I was able to find time to update, so sometimes there might be back-to-back daily updates. Just... don't count on it all the time. 'Cause it won't be happening daily that's for sure.**

**Anyways, here like my possible least favorite chapter. I **_**CRIED **_**writing it...**

**So yeah, enjoy...**

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

**Nothing but Emptiness**

_(MK's POV)_

I don't remember how long I stood there on that balcony, staring at the place where Nod had stormed off to, long after he was gone. I just... couldn't believe what he had said. Couldn't believe what _I _had said.

He was right.

Even if it wasn't just Tarren, even if it was for all of Willhollow. I was falling for this place, and it had been killing him...

And I'd_ still_ only been thinking of myself...

"Hey..." I heard a soft voice, and turned my head, to catch sight of none other than the prince himself. Letting out a deep breath, I turned back to the look out over the Willhollow tree.

"Hey." I mumbled back half-heartedly, not really in the mood to see anyone, _especially _him at the moment. Still, he persisted to walk out and stand next to me, looking out over the tree just as I was.

"It's really pretty..." I muttered, the silence starting to bug me. Tarren just nodded, not speaking. We stood for a while in silence, starring out over the moonlit Willhollow, before Tarren finally spoke up.

"Hey, do you want to... go for a walk? There's this place I want to show you."

I sighed, remember the last time he wanted to show me something. I ended up gaining supernatural explosive powers, and having to be dragged off to a fairy kingdom...

Still, I was so out of sorts from my previous talk, and it would be nice to just get out of there for a moment or two and relax. So I agreed.

Smiling, Tarren suddenly scooped me up bridal style, and took off into the air. I was so shocked I couldn't even scream. I just closed my eyes as tight as I could as Tarren flew us up into the jumble of tree branches. Finally I felt the rush of wind die down, and a voice whisper.

"Hey... Open your eyes."

I couldn't believe what I saw when I did.

It was a garden. Not just one of those little flower gardens that mommy planted in the backyard, but a full-on, royal sized pavilion with what appeared to be thousands of flowers and plants of all kinds, some I didn't even recognize.

The garden would've been spectacular all on it's own, but what really made my jaw drop was the fact that the entire place seemed... Luminescent. All the flowers glowed soft blues and purples and gold, and everything appeared to sparkle like diamonds.

"What... _is _this place?"

Tarren laughed. "This was my mom's garden. She used to bring me up here when the moon was out because it lights up the flowers. It's pretty isn't it."

"It's... It's _**beautiful!" **_I exclaimed, running my fingers over the flower petals. The sparkling light seemed to rise like dust, brushing onto my fingers. As I walked through the garden, I swore I could hear the whispers of young, childlike voices, or the ringing of tiny bells.

"What is that?" I whispered quietly as we slowly strolled through the garden.

"Oh, it's just the flowers." He replied indifferently, as if this were common knowledge. I gave him a skeptical look causing him to laugh, and then explain himself.

"You see these are a special breed of flowers that can only be grown by someone with the power of the queen. They have voices, but few pay enough attention to hear them. Listen..."

And then we both grew very quiet, leaned in close to a few of the glowing flowers, what had sounded like whispers and bells before, now formed a few coherent words.

"_Beautiful..." _They whispered. _"The lady... so pretty... Lady of Destiny... beautiful..."_

Hard as I tried, I couldn't keep the stupid smile off my face. "Awww? They're so sweet." I said, before realizing how ridiculously I sounded, gushing over talking flowers...

Tarren smiled, "And they don't lie either..."

I looked down, feeling a blush creeping on my face. It suddenly grew silent again, the flowers' voices dying back down into whispers and bells, and Tarren starred down at me, his eyes lingering on my lips.

"Tarren..." I mumbled, trying to warm him not to try anything, but my voice felt lost. Why did I always get this way around him? Unable to fight it or tell him no. It was like some pull in my chest drew me to him, against my will. It was horrible, and strangely lovely at the same time...

_Nod..._

"Tarren please..." I said, fighting out of the trance, and place my hand on his chest to hold him back. His face moved away from mine, and his eyes looked disappointed and almost... frustrated.

"Mary Katherine, be honest... What am I to you?"

I sighed, stepping away from the prince and continuing down the path that wound around the garden. "You're... an extremely sweet and brave guy, and you've been much kinder than I've deserved, but... That's all Tarren. That's all we _can _be."

Tarren began following me down the path, and stated quite simply. "I don't believe that."

I sighed, frustrated myself. "Tarren I mean it, I just don't-"

"MK I _know _you feel _**something. **_Even if it's not the same as me. There's a connection between us! Don't act like you haven't noticed."

I stopped, closing my eyes. This was just too much, after already hurting Nod just moments before, now I was going to hurt Tarren too. I just couldn't stop hurting people...

"Tarren... I'm sorry..." I whispered, looking up at him when he finally stood before me.

I was going to continue, but I was cut short by the blonde prince suddenly pressing his lips to mine, cupping my face with both hands. My eyes flew open, completely take by surprise, though I probably should've seen in coming.

And for a moment, I could see what he meant. That connection he was talking about, whether it was just the prophecy drawing us together, or if I had actually fallen for him, I felt it.

And it felt completely wrong.

But I couldn't pull away. My eyes closed against my will, and I felt myself lean in. The worst part of this all was feeling absolutely no control. Why was this happening? Was this because of the prophecy? Our destinies intertwined or some crap?

Amongst the confusion and loss of control, only one thought crossed my mind, the only thought that could've made me feel worse...

_Nod... I'm sorry._

_(Nod's POV)_

I leaned against the wall, glaring darkly at all the people still at the party, though several of them had already exited. I hoped they all left soon because I was officially sick of this party and everyone at it.

As I sat there, silently hating everyone, I saw out of the corner of my eye, another Leafman walking towards me casually. I turned quickly to identify the man as Ronin, and then continued my glaring contest.

"Well, now, don't smile too much. You might scare everyone." He said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes.

"Really not in the mood right now Ronin..." I muttered through my teeth, sighing and leaning my head against the wall. Ronin frowned.

"What's getting at you _now?_" Ronin asked, though I was fairly certain he already knew the answer.

"Just another stupid fight with MK..."

Ronin sighed, leaning against the wall next to me. "Yeah I figured... Nod with all the stress on her right now, picking a fight with MK's probably not the best idea. Maybe you should go talk to her."

I sighed. "Ronin... what if... what if she were better off here?"

This took Ronin my surprise, which didn't shock me. I had never been one to start giving up easily, and this_ was__** MK**_ we were talking about, but... with everything that was going on, it didn't seem nearly as impossible as it had a couple weeks ago...

"So what, you'd just _let_ her go like that?" Ronin asked. I groaned, stepping away from the Leafmen General.

"I don't know?! I mean... I don't want to lose her Ronin, but... if it were what was best for her..." I sighed, not wanting to go on. Ronin got the picture anyways.

And apparently he found it funny.

I raised my eyebrow at the general as he tried to stifle his laugh. "What could possibly be funny about this?" I asked, irritably.

"Oh nothing. It's just interesting how much you're willing to give up for her... She's made you selfless, which is more than I ever could've done."

I smiled, slightly to myself. "Yeah I guess..."

I hadn't really thought about it before, but there had been a change in me since the pod's blooming. Whether it had happened during the Boggan battles or afterwards, my life had began to slightly revolve around MK...

And now it was coming back to haunt me...

"Nod you love her, don't you?" Ronin asked. "Like seriously, even with all this craziness and arguing, you love her."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course I do. I mean, yeah we fight and are both stubborn sometimes, but she's still important to me..."

Ronin smiled. "Then the best thing you can do is go apologize to her. At least talk to her Nod, orr she's going to start drifting away... Don't make the same mistakes I did Nod. Not telling her how you're feeling... Trust me... You regret it."

I sighed, putting my hand on his shoulder. He did his best to smile, but I knew he was still broken over the loss of Tara. I couldn't even imagine. If anything ever happened to MK...

Suddenly, Ronin laughed, and punched me softly in the arm. "Now go after her already. She's probably waiting for you anyways."

I smiled, though it didn't feel sincere even to me. "Thanks Ronin...I needed someone to talk to..."

Ronin smiled back, patting my shoulder. "Anytime Nod.

I nodded, and then headed out the door to see if MK was still out on the balcony. I hadn't seen her come back in, so I had assumed she'd wandered off somewhere. I was about to go off and look for her, when I suddenly heard a voice.

"You're not going to find her here."

I turned and saw the Willhollow army's general, Oren I believed was his name. He was standing by the balcony, looking out over the Willhollow tree, just as I had been when I came out earlier.

"What do you mean? Who are-"

"Why, Lady Mary Katherine of course. That is who you're looking for is it not?"

I nodded, feeling a little suspicious of where this was going. The general turned and leaned against the stone railing of the balcony.

"Listen boy, I'm going to try and put our bickering aside for a moment and warn you before it's too late. Do yourself a favor, and leave with the Leafmen, before you get hurt."

This confused and irritated me at the same time. What, so this guy just wanted to tell me to beat it? And what did he mean before I got _hurt?_ Was he _threatening _me?

"Look dude, I don't have time for this okay? I need to find-"

"I'm warning you. Leave now and do not return."

I scoffed. "Yeah right! I'm not just going to give up and run back home with my tail between my legs. I'm not leaving without Mary Katherine!"

Oren sighed, as if dreading some sort of painful task ahead, and looked up to me.

"So be it... I will take you to the Lady of Destiny. And then perhaps you will understand..."

Then, without another word, the fairy general began walking down a flight of steps and down some walkway, without looking back. Assuming I was supposed to follow, I trailed after the winged soldier, feeling unsettled. Something was extremely wrong here, and I was keeping my guard up

Oren led me down a hallway and up an extremely tall flight of stairs that wound this way and that, before ending up before a large clump of thick brush. I could see some sort of glowing from beyond the thickness of the leaves, but I felt cautious about moving forward.

Something was _extremely_ wrong here, and I looked back at Oren, who was standing down a few steps, looking grave.

"Look for yourself, Leafman..." He muttered, and then looked away, as if he couldn't bear to watch. I could feel my heart speeding up, though I had to know what was going on. So, quietly and calmly, I pushed back the leaves and branches, and stepped onto the other side.

I was shocked by the place I had just entered. It was a humongous garden, with glowing purple and blue flowers sprouting up everywhere. Very pretty, and exactly where I would've expected Mary Katherine to be.

I walked down a bit, taking in the scenery while searching for the missing redhead. "I wonder how long it's going to take to find her in a place like this?" I asked myself as I began turning a corner. It was then that a ways away, I caught sight of the girl I'd been looking for. Apparently not that long.

It didn't take me long however, to realize she wasn't alone. I tried to tiptoe a little closer to see if I could figure out what Tarren was saying to her, but I quickly realized that he wasn't talking to her.

He was... kissing her.

And she was kissing _back._

My eyes widened, bigger than a fishes, and I felt my hollow heart plummet into my stomach.

N-no...

No she wouldn't... I mean, this wasn't... She couldn't be... not with _him_...h-how could she even-how could she...?

... How could she?

_How __**could**__ she?!_

I began backing away, my breaths quickly growing ragged. I felt numb. That kind of numb that you felt before you hit by something. The calm before the storm kind of numb...

This wasn't... this couldn't be happening... After we had _just _had such a horrible argument, she would just run off and... and...?

Suddenly, the numbness faded away, and anger shot through me like a bolt of lighting. But even more overwhelming than the anger, was the _pain. _I could feel it coursing through me like venom, slowly causing me to want to shut down. It was like the rot of the Boggans, slowly spreading until had killed every living, loving part of me...

And then, just like the dead forest, I felt nothing.

Nothing but emptiness...

I dragged my feet as I staggered back to the place I had emerged from, at some points feeling dizzy, as though I might topple over. I couldn't process what I had just seen. What I had just seen _her _do. With _**him...**_

Why Mary Katherine...? Just why?

I pushed past the brush once more, and found Captain Oren still waiting there, stoic as a rock, and just as unfeeling.

"I'm sorry Nod..." He mumbled, but all I could do was stare down. "But now you understand. She has moved on. Now it's time for you to do the same..."

Not even bothering to look at him, I simply began walking back down the stairs, bumping my shoulder into his as I went to make him move out of my way. Suddenly, I felt no compassion for anyone.

Not even her anymore...

"Nod?"

Slowing to a halt, I turned and looked back up at the general. He was starring down at me, with a pitiful expression on his face that started bringing back the sting. Still, I sucked it up for a moment, and starred back at the man.

Oren sighed. "I'm sorry boy... But this is what's best for Willhollow. I wish there would've been an easier way to make you see that but-"

I had already stormed off though, because I had started feeling a tear or two prick at my eyes, and that was something I _refused _to let any man of Willhollow _ever _lay eyes on. I had to be stronger. But not for her anymore.

She had finally chosen to walk away...now I had to try and do the same...

Or else... Or else I was going to lose myself.

Just like I had lost her.

* * *

**... BWUAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO GET WORSE! TTT_TTT and you wanna know the worst part?**

**It's still gonna get worser than this... Yes I'm aware that worser isn't a word but... Yeah it's gonna happen.**

**I'm sorry! Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	24. This Pain was Much Worse

**Okay before I go on with this story I just need to say THANK YOU GUYS SO FLIPPING MUCH! **

**Like seriously I've gotten so many reviews of people saying how much they love this story, and how they **_**cried **_**reading it! ****CRIED! ****That's like the most amazing flipping thing I've ever heard so thank you SO much for the support.**

_**Unfortunately, **_**we've finally reached the final, sickening piece of the three-part ANTI-CLIMAX! Now I'm warning you now, **_**SERIOUSLY **_**prepare yourselves for an EXCEEDINGLY sad chapter. Like no really... I'm almost ****certain to have an angry mob at my door tomorrow morning...**

**Enjoy... If you can -_-**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

**This Pain was Much Worse**

_(MK's POV)_

It probably hadn't _actually _been that long, but it felt like forever, being trapped by his lips, as if held captive by that unknown force that always resonated between us. It was like a tight cord with which I would like nothing more than to sever, but was completely handicapped by it.

Finally, he pulled away, and grabbed me by the shoulder.

"I mean _**tell **_me you didn't feel _something! _Even the slightest spark..."

I shook my head, feeling desperate and horribly caught in between a rock and a hard place.

"Tarren... _Please. _I just... I can't right now..."

Tarren let out a ragged breath, releasing me from his hold, and taking a step back.

"I... I understand..." He said, his eyes completely downcast. I felt a wave of sickness bubbling in the pit of my stomach.

"Tarren I'm sorry..."

"No." He said, shaking his head. "It's fine. I umm... I need to go make sure everything fine back at the palace... I'll... see you."

And then, he pushed past me and walked off towards an exit, leaving me standing there, alone in this vast garden. I had seen where the stairway back down was, but I felt too sick to walk back down there, to see all those people...

To see Nod...

Instead, I sunk down, leaning against the back of a large branch that sprouted up like a tree, and closed my eyes, trying to drown out the world for a moment, and just forget it all.

Amongst this entire mess, with all the people that had added to the overwhelming stress I felt at this moment, the only person I could manage to hate was myself...

I felt like I was drowning.

And soon, there would be no one to pull me out of the water...

(Later)

I eventually gathered myself enough to get myself down the staircase, and start back towards the ballroom. I could the lights illuminating from the ballroom, but the music no longer played, and I didn't see more than a few fairies inside, cleaning up. It must have been later than I though.

When I finally grew close to the throne room, I realized there was another figure there, leaning against the railing of the Balcony, as if expecting me, and it didn't take long for me to figure out who it was.

"Oh hey Nod. I didn't ummm... didn't see you there."

Nod didn't say anything, but instead stepped away from his spot against the rail, and looked right into my eyes.

And I knew something was very wrong.

"So... have fun with his royal highness in the enchanted garden?" He asked, his voice dripping with malice and sarcasm, and I felt my heart drop.

He knew.

"Nod... oh my gosh Nod I'm so sorry I-" I tried to speak, not even sure what I could say. This was beyond some argument or apology or _anything. _

"Oh no," he cut in. "There's no need to apologize. Everyone else already knew you were falling for him, at least now you've proved it to yourself."

I sighed, exasperatedly. "Nod come on, I don't..." But I trailed off, unable to continue. Because even if I said no, I wouldn't be able to believe it myself anymore. That pull I felt with Tarren, whatever it was... Could it mean I _did _love him...? No! That was ridiculous... But I still couldn't make myself deny it.

Nod laughed dryly. "You know, I ran it over in my head, and I've realized the only reason you probably even discovered Moonhaven, was so that Fairy Boy could come pick you up when the time was right. _We _were never even supposed to _**happen." **_

My mouth fell open a little bit, completely taken aback. "What are you... Are you saying you _regret _us?"

Nod scoffed. "I do now! I mean what was the point MK? If you were just going to walk away anyway, then there _wasn't _one."

This irritated me, considering I hadn't been the one to kiss Tarren anyways. "Nod I'm _not _walking away! Tarren just-"

"Just kissed you out of nowhere right?"

I nodded. He shook his head, not even believing that I was trying to defend herself at this point. I wasn't sure why either to be honest. "MK I _saw _you, 'kay? And if you though I was done before, I am _majorly _done now. Like permanently done."

I gasped softly, feeling my heart beat speed up. Did he... Was he...?

"Nod... You aren't...serious are you...?"

Nod suddenly turned away from me, his shoulders rigid. I felt my breathing quickly growing more desperate. He couldn't mean that... could he?

I felt tears in my eyes, even though I guess I had no right to be crying. I had brought this on myself, hadn't I? I could've told Tarren no, but... But I couldn't. It was like my body had worked before my mind could catch up. It was all because of this stupid prophecy thing...

"Nod it wasn't my fault okay? It's-"

Suddenly, Nod spun around, eyes blazing. "Not your fault? _Not your fault?_ You _**kissed **_him Mary Katherine! _How _was that not your fault?!"

"Because he kissed me first! And I couldn't... I couldn't stop him... Nod it's this Lady of Destiny thing! There's some sort of... pull with us. I couldn't have done anything!"

Nod threw his hands up, as if giving up. "Well great! Good for you! Now you can spend the rest of your life with him and your precious little connection... Because we're leaving. Like as _soon _as possible..."

And I knew what he meant, though he didn't say the words. The Leafmen were leaving Willhollow.

Without me.

"Nod... No! I'm not just going to stay here while you-"

"Don't then!" Nod cut in. "Leave if you want! Go home, or stay here, or do _whatever!_ I don't really care anymore. You can do whatever you want, _except _stay with me..."

I was about to say something else when he suddenly muttered something beneath his breath.

"I wish you'd never even come to Moonhaven... I wish I'd never _met _you."

I recoiled, as if from a slap.

He didn't... did he really just _say _that...?

"Nod... y-you don't mean that... You _can't... _Nod I'm sorry!" I shouted, my voice cracking, tears spilling down my cheeks. I watched as he bit his lip to keep from saying anything else, and then sigh.

"Just... Just leave me alone, okay? I can't anymore I just... Go, okay? Just _go."_ And then he stormed off, leaving me standing there, feeling more hollow and broken than I think I'd ever felt. The last time I'd been hurt this badly... was when my mom had passed away...

I suddeny felt myself sink to the floor, crying harder than I even knew was possible. I felt shaky and weak and on the verge of being sick. And the only thing that I could even think of were Nod's last words to me.

"_I wish you'd never even come to Moonhaven... I wish I'd never met you."_

"Nod..." I whispered, before curling myself up, and crying into my knees, wishing the darkness of night would simply wash over and consume me. Maybe that would make me numb enough to forget everything.

Because all those people who told you feeling pain was better than feeling nothing, they were dead wrong.

This pain was _much _worse.

* * *

**So... I thought there were only three parts to the great ANTI-CLIMAX, but _apparently_ the next chapter's gonna be the _real _last part of it, so just... Just breathe, and hold on. Don't commit suicide, because I PROMISE...**

**Everything. is. going. to. be. okay.**

**Until Then!**

**~ Macy**


	25. Doesn't Matter

**... We're almost done guys. Let's hope no one dies in the process.**

**XD I love how it's only **_**after **_**I tell you guys I wont be posting everyday, that I **_**start **_**posting every day. Seriously, I just CANT stop being a hypocrite...**

**Whatever, still don't get used to it...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

**Doesn't Matter **

_(Nod's POV)_

"Nod?" I heard Ronin say as I stormed past, about ready to kill something "Nod what's wrong?

"We're leaving. Like as_ soon_ as possible."

Ronin seemed taken aback, but gathered himself quickly. "Nod what's going on? Is MK-?"

"MK's not coming with us." I stated simply, feeling a pain in my chest when I spoke her name. I was already through the doors that led inside the castle, heading to my room to pack up my stuff. Ronin was hot on my trail, still extremely confused.

"Nod what's going on? What happened with you and MK?"

I stopped, and turned towards the general, who took a wary step back upon eye contact. I didn't blame him. If I looked _half _as fired up as I felt, I wouldn't blame anyone for being a little cautious.

"You wanna know what _happened _Ronin? She kissed him... _**him."**_ I stated hardly. Ronin's eyes widened, before his hand reached out. "Nod I'm so-"

"Doesn't matter." I muttered coldly, turning away from the general. "I should've seen it coming... Point is we're not really considered welcome here anymore, so it's about time we packed up and headed home..."

"_**You're**__ my home. I belong wherever you are..."_

I grit my teeth, fighting back the memories that threatened to resurface. There was _no _point _reminiscing _now. The best thing I could do was just put it behind me, and try moving on with life.

Ronin rolled his eyes. "Okay let's not jump the gun Nod. Just tell what happe-"

At that moment, I finally snapped. I turned around and screamed at Ronin.

"It doesn't _matter _what happened! She had already _made _her choice, and I said what I needed to make her realize it. Now we both just need to forget it and **move on."**

Ronin didn't speak, so turned and began walking away again.

"So that's it?" He shouted after me.

"Pretty much!" I replied sarcastically. I heard his footsteps stomping after me.

"You're just giving up?" He asked when he finally caught up with me. I just kept looking forward and trying to ignore his every word. "You're just going to go home and leave her behind? What happened to wanting to fight for her?!"

I suddenly turned and slammed my fist against the wall, causing the painting and mounted candleholders to rattle. Ronin went dead silent. I could feel my teeth clenching, trying to keep from screaming something awful at him, and when I spoke again, my voice felt way to vulnerable.

"Ronin... It's over okay? She doesn't want me to fight anymore... So I'm going..."

I was going to rush off and collect all my stuff, when I suddenly heard a much too familiar scream, and a large explosion, coming back from the balcony where I'd left MK.

_Shit_

_(MK's POV)_

I don't remember how long I sat against the balcony rails, crying my eyes out. Everything was just so completely _wrong! _What was I supposed to _do _now?!

I sighed. That little, overly rational voice in my head spoke up. _Now that you don't have any ties to Moonhaven, you can stay here and save Willhollow._

"Ugh shut _up!" _I whispered harshly to myself, pressing the heels of my hands to my forehead in an attempt to fight the tears away. My subconscious had a point though. If I didn't have Moonhaven to go back to, then there was no point in returning at all. I could stay here and heal Willhollow with a guilt-free conscience...

...That wasn't entire true though was it. Those last words that Nod said to me were going to haunt me for a _long, __**long **_time I could already tell.

_I wish I'd __**never**__ met you..._

I closed my eyes, trying to fight back the next wave of tears...

What had happened to the "I can't lose you" crap he'd spouted before?! Yeah, that totally seemed like the case now...

I sighed, put my hands over my face and rubbing the bridge of my nose. Who was I kidding? This was all my fault, and I was sitting here trying to be angry at him...

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down, before standing up. I wasn't sure where I wanted to go, but I didn't want to be here anymore...

"Well looky who it is?" I suddenly heard a spine chilling voice, and turned to see a figure hiding underneath the shadows. I froze, not daring to take another step. How had they gotten back in here? Tarren had said they would have the place under complete surveillance tonight, in case one of those invaders tried anything at the party. This wasn't supposed to happen...

"Alright now Milady." The man said, emerging from the darkness, along wit a couple other men. "You can either come with us quietly, or we can take you by force. We're going to be gentlemen and give you the choice." The man said with a sly smile that made my already racing heart speed up that much more.

"No... No you stay away from me." I whispered, my voice hoarse from crying, and shaky from the nerves. The shrugged. "Hmm. Well I guess we can do it our way. That' always a bit more fun anyways..." And then he stepped towards me.

I suddenly jumped back, and let out an ear-splitting scream, to try and get someone to help me. "AAAHHHHHHH!"

"GRAB HER!" The head man yelled, before rushing forward and grabbing me, the other men standing by to help drag me off. I flailed my arms and legs, desperately trying to break free.

"NO DAMNIT LET GO OF ME!" I screamed, before slamming my fist against his shoulder. The same light explosion that occurred when they'd tried to take me in the woods occurred, and blasted against the man, causing his to fly back, and slam into a couple other guys.

I fell to the floor where the man had dropped me, and quickly jumped up, shocked. How had I _done _that?! I looked down at my hand, and to my surprise, and horror, the palm of my right hand was glowing a fiery gold. Gasping, I looked towards the men who had just been knocked away.

"Ugh..." A slightly burly man said as he crawled out from under the bigger guy who'd grabbed me. "I told you Gus! This chick packs a punch."

I tried to control my ragged breath as the men picked themselves up and began rushing towards me again. The light on my palm grew brighter, and in a last move of desperation, I looked at it, looked at them, and then faced my glowing palm towards them, turning my head away from it.

Suddenly, a blast of hot energy shot from my hand, hitting the men right in the center and sending them crashing away. The blast itself caused me to scream as I was knocked backwards myself.

And then suddenly, as soon as it had happened, the light vanished. I starred in completely shock at my now idle hand. The light had vanished completely.

I looked up at the men, who were now scattered across the balcony floor. Surprisingly, none of the stones or anything else was harmed...

Before I could even stand up, an entire troop of Willhollow soldiers had rushed in to apprehend the criminals. Tarren was with them as well, running towards me with a look of horror on his face.

"Mary Katherine!" He yelled, his voice thick with worry. I sighed, starting to stand up. Tarren hurried over and helped me up. "Are you alright?"

I took a deep breath. "Yeah I'm fine... though I can officially say if I almost get kidnapped by _one _more person ever, I am going to lose my mind."

Tarren laughed shakily, before suddenly wrapping his arms around me. "I was really worried MK"

I smiled embarrassingly, before backing away from his hold. "Well I'm fine. Turns out those 'other powers' you told me about are stronger than I thought."

We both turned towards the men who were now being chased my soldiers, the majority of them had already been apprehended, but I caught sight of the huge one, Gus, trying to sneak around the back.

Smirking, I quickly reached my open hand in his direction, and a vine of the willow tree shot down and wrapped around him. I then closed my fist and pulled towards myself, and the vine tightened and dragged the man to us, bound and locked up.

I couldn't hold back the childish giggle. "Okay that is really cool."

Tarren smiled. "Finally getting a hold of your powers?"

I smiled back. "Yeah I guess so... Tarren..." I said, looked into his eyes seriously. His head tilted slightly. "What is it?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat. _This is what's best MK. Don't forget that..._

I sighed. "Tarren... I've decided I'm going to st-"

"MK!" I suddenly heard a voice call out, and I turned to see it was Ronin, followed by Nod, running towards us. I bit back a groan of irritation.

"We heard a scream and an explosion. Are you okay?" Ronin asked. I wasn't looking at him though. I was starring right at Nod, a completely blank expression on my face. The hint of anxiety I thought I'd seen vanished, and he became as indifferent as I was.

"Yes I'm fine" I replied to Ronin's question, though my eyes never left the Leafman I'd once been so close to. "Just a couple of intruders. I took care of them though. No need to go out of your way or anything." I added bitterly. Nod frowned and looked away.

I then averted my attention back to Tarren, who looked pretty confused at this point. "Prince Tarren, I've decided that I'm going to stay in Willhollow."

Tarren's eyes widened, as if he'd just heard the most unexpected, but amazing news in the world. "You... you are?"

I half-smiled, feeling Nod's gaze boring into me. "Yup. You've got yourself a queen of Willhollow."

Tarren smiled widely, and cheers broke out amongst the soldiers. I saw Nod's face turn back to mine, eyes slightly wide, and hurt. I shook my head.

"What, Nod? You told me to go...So I am." I said, before doing something that to this _day_ fills me with regret.

...I unclasped the stone moon from around my neck, and tossed it at his feet, resulting in the tiny clink of stone on stone.

"Isn't it about time you did the same?"

"MK...?" Ronin whispered, confused and sad.

I sighed. "I'm sorry Ronin, but I'm pretty sure they need me here more than in Moonhaven. You'll explain to the queen, won't you?"

Ronin took a deep breath, breathing out all his sad emotions, and stood more erect. "Of course. We're...going to miss you MK..."

Suddenly, Nod's face contorted slightly, as if in pain, before he spun around and stormed off, leaving the necklace lying in the dust. I felt my throat catch and bit my lip to hold back the sob that threatened to escape, turning my head away as Ronin ran after Nod. "Not all of you I guess..." I muttered under my breath.

I felt Tarren's hand on my shoulder, ad turned towards the blond prince, trying my best not to look as broken as I felt. "Mary Katherine, what happened with you and-"

"Doesn't matter anymore." I cut him off. "Now I'm here to stay, and things can stop being complicated." I told myself to try and comfort the biting feeling in my stomach. Things would get better from here. They had to.

"_Prince Tarren!" _A teary voice cried out, causing us both to turn in it's direction. I recognized the waving strawberry hair before I even saw the face. "Tanya?"

The servant girl reached us quickly, breath ragged from both running and crying. Her eyes were red and cheeks tear-stained. I got this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something was very wrong.

"What's wrong?" Tarren asked, feeling something bad had happened mas well. Tanya tried to calm her breathing.

"Your highness... It's the Princess Jennora. Sire... The sickness has returned..."

* * *

**... *hides in bunker until rabid mob of furious people stop trying to hunt me down.* **_**I'M SORRY! TTT_TTT**_

**I honestly have no excuse for this. I'm just a sickly evil person. But hey at least that's the **_**end **_**of the great ANTI-CLIMAX! At least... **_**for now**_**. If you guys want to be let in on a little secret...**

**Eventually...**

_**It's **__**STILL**__** going to get worse...**_

**-_- please don't shoot me. I still have the rest of the story to post...**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	26. What's Right For You?

**Well I told you it was gonna happen sooner or later, but what can I say I've been freaking busy?! **

**Yesterday, I went with my mom, sisters, and best friend to see Frozen at El Capitan yesterday, and before the movie they had people dressed as Elsa and Anna come out, and Elsa made it snow in the theater. I was crying, I didn't even care...**

**...Yeah, I know I'm an eight year old at heart and I no longer care what anyone's opinion of that is ^^"**

**So yeah here's Chapter 26. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 26:**

**What's Right For You?**

_(MK's POV)_

I sat by Jenni's bedside, holding a cold cloth to her forehead, while the doctor checked the sickly child's temperature. As he pulled the thermostat from her mouth, she made a face and rolled her tongue a few times, probably trying to get the anti-bacterial taste out of her mouth. I smiled sympathetically, through it didn't feel quite sincere enough.

"Well so far, the fever hasn't risen too much. That's good news." He said to the princess, though I could tell he was trying to be optimistic for her sake. Tarren and I would have to ask him how she was really doing after we'd gotten away from her.

The doctor packed up his things and asked to meet with Tarren and Isabelle in the hallway, and soon it was only Jenni and I left alone in the room. Jenni folder her hands.

"It's worse than he's telling me isn't it. I could tell he was holding back a little."

I sighed. "Jenni-"

"I wish he wouldn't." She said. "I can handle it..."

I smiled. "I'm sure you could your highness, but it doesn't matter anyway. I'll be able to make you better really soon now."

Jenni nodded. "Right...because you're going to stay in Willhollow after all... But didn't you want to go home with Nod?"

I sighed again, closing my eyes so she wouldn't be able to detect the discomfort in them. "I explained already Jenni. Nod doesn't want to be with me anymore, so he's going to go back to Moonhaven, and I'm going to stay here."

The golden hair little girl shook her head. "That doesn't sound right to me. Maybe he didn't mean it? He could've been-"

I didn't let her continue, afraid she'd _actually _make me start believing that. "No sweetheart, I'm pretty sure he meant it. He made it _pretty _dang clear that he didn't care about me anymore..."

"Well that's how you know he does still care." Jenni persisted. "Because when boys want to say one thing, they usually get all mixed up and say the exact opposite because they think it makes more sense."

I smiled, ruffling the sick girl's hair. "Well it doesn't matter because... Because we're both going to move on now..."

"But do you think that's the right thing to do?"

"Of course I do!" I said, surprised I was able to fake such confidence. "Willhollow needs me to-"

"I'm not talking about Willhollow." Jenni said exasperatedly, although her voice wasn't quite as strong due to her being ill. "I mean, do you think you're doing what right for _you?"_

I had been about to assure her that this was the best thing for me as well, but despite knowing I'd save an entire kingdom from utter destruction, I somehow couldn't bring myself to tell her that this _was_ what was best for me.

_Maybe it wasn't...?_

Suddenly, Jenni's bedroom, doors swung open, and Tanya entered. She had been looking pretty run down since the princess's sickness returned, and I could tell she was extremely worried.

"Excuse me ladies, but the doctor requests that the Princess Jennora get some rest right now. Also, Tarren needs to see Mary Katherine. Several things concerning tomorrow must be discussed at once."

"Oh right... Tomorrow..." I trailed off. Tomorrow was the day I married Prince Tarren, and became Queen of Willhollow, just like the Queen Jennora of legend, and Queen Rheina, Tarren's mother.

Apparently, they'd had everything for the wedding prepared before-hand, considering they were on a bit of a time-sensitive schedule. Everything from the location to the dress to the ceremony had already been taken care of. Now, it would all be taking place tomorrow.

It was almost impossible to imagine. Tomorrow I was going to marry Tarren, and save Willhollow, and become its queen...

I sighed, feeling even more stressed than before I'd decided to stay in Willhollow. You'd think that with the decision made and ties severed, I'd finally feel some relief from all the pressure and anxiety, but since accepting Tarren's proposal, I'd only been feeling worse about it. Everyone assured me it was just wedding jitters, but somehow I doubted that was it. I mean, it wasn't for a while day!

Although, around here, with all the trouble they had been in, a day could mean life or death, and now I could finally put the people's minds to rest about that. I tried to find comfort in that...

Bidding goodbye to Jenni, I quickly stole out of the room, and turned to find Tarren listening to Isabelle as she went over the things the doctor had told her. He had a tired expression. Not even tired really. Just drained.

When Isabelle left Tarren alone, I took it as my opportunity to step in. The expression on his face was way past worried. Tarren looked _scared_. I tried to give him a comforting smile.

"We've been able to bring the fever down a bit." I said in hopes of making him feel better. He did his to smile back, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Isabelle told me what the doctor said. That she's still not going to recover at this rate..." Then he let out sigh that somehow resembled a sob, and made me want to cry myself. "Mary Katherine I _can't _lose her..."

"_I can't trust them, MK. I just can't... and I can't lose someone important to me because of them again... I can't lose you..."_

"_You're not going to lose me, okay?" I said, sniffing softly. "I'm right here._

I pinched my eyes shut, feeling the pain of the memory like the pangs of a headache, but brushed it off. I had to try and forget him if I was going to be happy again. "Tarren, it's going to be fine. I'm going to make sure she gets better again. I promise.

Tarren sighed, and without warning, pulled me into him. It was extremely surprising to me, although it probably shouldn't have been. If it had been someone I cared about on the verge of dying, I'd need some comfort too. Plus, weren't we supposed to be married soon anyways? I'd have to get used to more than just hugs...

I smiled awkwardly as I backed away, my thoughts starting to run away with themselves. "So uhh what did you want to talk to me about?"

This seemed to bring him back to his senses. "Oh yes of course. I just wanted to make sure you knew when everything was happening?"

I faked a pretty convincing smile, if I do say so myself. "Yup. Wedding's tomorrow, and the next day, I'll be doing some sort of ceremony thing to start healing Willhollow... right?"

Tarren smiled. "Exactly. It's going to be a full moon and Arthur says that will strengthen your powers. Help you to make sure this sickness doesn't spread anything further."

"Okay. Tomorrow's going to be pretty busy huh."

Tarren nodded, smiling "Pretty much. Good luck with that by the way. I'm sure Isabelle's going to be relentless."

I laughed, though it sounded a bit too nervous in my ears. "Uh yeah. I'm honestly considering calling in sick." Not like I'd have to fake it that much. It wasn't even the day of and I was feeling nausea at some moments of the day. I'd be dying by tomorrow morning.

Tarren laughed, whipping me out of my thoughts. "Oh I'm sure you'll be fine. Isabelle's not that hard to handle, once you get used to her." He said, before suddenly growing slightly quieter. "Also..." he whispered, almost as though he didn't wish to speak. "There's... still the matter of the Leafmen however... They haven't said when they wish to leave yet."

I felt a slight twinge of emotion, but quickly masked it with a look of indifference. "It's fine. They'll leave when they're ready, which I doubt will take too long." But even I couldn't hide the tightness in my voice.

There was a slight pause in the air, before I felt Tarren's hand softly landing on my shoulder. "Mary Katherine... You not just... doing all this to get back at Nod are you?"

I stiffened, before suddenly pulling away from the boy's touch, and turning away from him. "Of course not." I muttered, finding it difficult to form words. "I'm doing it for you, and Jenni, and Willhollow. It's what's best for everyone..."

"But is it what's best for you?" Tarren asked sincerely, causing me to turn back to him. He smiled, but it was so full of sadness it seemed out of place, and it made me feel absolutely horrible. "Tarren..."

"Listen," He persisted, obviously wanting to get some painful point across. I was almost certain I didn't want to listen to it, but I did anyways. "You know I have feelings for you, and honestly when you told me you were going to stay, I was happier than I had been... well honestly, than since before my mother passed away."

"Tarren." I breathed, not wanting to hear this for some reason. It hurt for reasons I couldn't pinpoint, or perhaps didn't want to. Still, part of moving on would be learning to deal with the pain, so I listened.

"I do want you to stay here." He said. "But only if it's what's best for _everyone... __**Including **_you. I want you to be happy too Mary Katherine, and I want to be the one to make you happy if I can."

I could feel a thick lump forming in my throat, and tried to swallow it down, but it remained where it was, and also forced a sob past my lips. "Tarren... I-I'm sorry. I just... I need some time to think..."

And before he could even respond, I was hurrying down the hallway, feeling absolutely horrible. Why did everyone keep saying they wanted me to be happy? Couldn't they see that was am impossibility!? No matter what I had chosen, I would've been hurting people I cared about. People I wanted to protect! I could never be _happy _because of that!

I sighed, slowing once I turned a corner and was out of Tarren's line of vision, and leaned my arm against the wall, closing my eyes, and praying that this was all some long, elaborate dream. I prayed I was going to wake up any moment, and sigh with relief that I wasn't some magical princess, that I didn't have to marry a boy I was pretty certain I wasn't in love with, and...

And that Nod didn't hate me with every fiber of his being...

I sighed. It was my entire fault anyways. I had brought this on myself, and when he had gotten upset over what I'd done, I had grown angry in return. As if I had _any _right to be...

I sighed, somehow finding my way back to my room. I slipped into the large bedroom, shut the door, and flopped onto the large bed. With all the stress that the following day was going to bring piled onto everything I was already trying to deal with, some rest would be the best thing for me.

I felt my eyes drift shut, and I knew a part of me wished they wouldn't open.

So I wouldn't have to face tomorrow.

_(Nod's POV)_

"So that's seriously it," Ronin stated stubbornly as he stood by the door, starring me down with a slight glare. I ignored him as I loaded up my bag with everything of mine that I had brought with me on this stupid trip. "We're just going home?"

"That's the plan." I said, straightforward and bitter, wishing he would get off my back. I'd already explained everything that had happened. Shouldn't it have been obvious we weren't exactly welcome anymore?

"Nod, you realize you're being ridiculous, right? You're _seriously _just going to _**leave **_her here? Just like that?"

I groaned, and turned towards the general. "Ronin, I told you. We're _done. _She's going to stay here with Fairy Boy, and I'm going to go home, and that's gonna be the end of it."

Ronin scoffed. "Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it..."

My eyebrows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that when we get back to Moonhaven, you're going to spend the rest of your time sulking around! Nod... Don't give her up."

"She gave me up Ronin!" I screamed, causing the man to freeze. I softened my face a bit, showing more emotion than I wanted to, and turned away. "She had given up when she chose to come to Willhollow... She just needed help seeing it."

"Nod... What did you say to her? I know she wouldn't have chosen to stay here if you hadn't done something to make her want to."

I sighed. "I told her what I knew would make her stay..."

"And did you mean it?"

I groaned. "I don't know okay?! I mean I was ridiculously pissed so I meant _a lot _of it... but... I realized the only way to make her stay was to... to make her hate me enough to _want _to stay away..."

"So you hurt her to make her not want to go back."

I threw my hands up in defeat. "Wrong Ronin. She hurt _me! _I know what I saw, okay? So yes, _that's __**seriously **__it."_

Ronin sighed. "Nod, I just know that if we leave here without MK, you're never going to get over it."

I closed my eyes, trying to fight back the pain and anger with sheer willpower. It wasn't working very well. "I_ know_ that... but I already went too far." I whispered, looking down at the ground.

I knew Ronin was right. I was going to go back to Moonhaven, and wallow in my own self-pity for who knows how long. That, or I'd go do something stupid... Which seemed more like something I was more likely of.

I heard the soft click of the door as Ronin slipped out of the room. He must've figured I was done being interrogated...

I sighed softly. Why should I even still care, I wondered? She was the one who walked away from me. Shouldn't I have been hoping to never see her again...?

I huffed as I sunk down the ground, my back against the bedside. Of course I wanted to see her again. I wanted to take back every word I had said, because I hadn't meant them, and I knew she didn't mean what she had said. Well... at least most of it.

MK and I were both ridiculously stubborn, and it caused us to get into a lot of arguments like these, but we always apologized, and we always forgave because we knew that no matter what was said or done, I still loved her, and she still loved me...

I turned my head, looking out at the window. It didn't matter anymore. She was never going to talk to me again. Hell, she was never going to _see _me again.

And I couldn't get the idea to stop hurting. The idea of her staying here and falling for that stupid prince of Willhollow. Maybe she wasn't in love with him yet, but she would be. I could tell...

I had lost her now.

And there was no one to blame but myself.

* * *

**...I'm really, **_**really **_**sorry guys! I know this is super evil but please, **_**PLEASE **_**don't give up on this story. I **_**promise **_**that everything's gonna be okay. **

**The reason I make so much crap go down is so you guys can all celebrate that much more when it gets better! Like how interesting would a story be if everything were just fine and dandy the whole time? Just one monotone storyline? You guys would get bored, or at least I would.**

**So just hang in there, and like I've said time and time again, IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY!**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	27. Let Him Go

**SO GUESS WHO'S ON CHRISTMAS BREAK?!**

_**THIS GIRL!**_

**That's right punks I am officially off school for two weeks which means DAILY UPDATES again! 'Cause now I've got nothing to stop me! Except maybe... Christmas. But that's a legit excuse!**

**So... this chapter is going to be the last **_**exceedingly**_** painful chapter... I think. I need to read ahead but this should be it. So just... Hang in there "-_-**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

**Let Him Go**

_(MK's POV)_

"Okay I put up with the last dress but this thing is _ridiculous!" _I screeched as Isabelle fought the piles of seemingly endless fabric over my head. Tanya had needed to get Isabelle just to try and help me get into the thing. If they could even get the dress over my _head, _how the heck was I supposed to _walk down the freaking aisle in it?! _

I mentally cringed. I mean, as if I needed anything _else _to worry about during this thing. Guess I'd have to get used to it though. I was going to be a queen, and as such I assumed social gatherings and events would be common. People would be watching me a lot and I guess I'd adjust to it over time... hopefully.

Finally, with much exerted effort, they got the large, white blob of flouncing fabric over my head, and got it to fit itself correctly over my body. I looked in the mirror, only to find this dress ten billion times more ridiculous than the last one I'd had to wear.

The top was a while halter dress, with gold beading just below the bust. Fairly simple. The ridiculous part was the ball gown skirt made of white and pink petals, quite similar in style to Queen Tara's. To sum it up, it was huge, gaudy, and I was inevitably doomed to trip on it as I walked down he aisle, in front of an _entire kingdom._

I was screwed.

"Well, at least that's taken care of." Isabelle said, humorously exasperated. Tanya smiled widely. "Oh Milady you look lovely."

I looked at the strawberry blonde, incredulously. She smiled apologetically. "Oh sorry. I know how you hate that..."

"She aught to get used to it." Isabelle said, indifferently. I huffed, my nose whistling slightly as I did. Isabelle's face went irritably blank, and she was about to speak when the doors to my bedroom opened, and in rushed a little maid I hadn't seen before.

"Oh! Mistress Isabelle, the princess has begun to get a bit worse. We're requesting the doctor to come back and see what he can do, but we need you back in her room."

"Okay well-"

"Oh, and Milady!" She cried, looking in my direction. "Tarren wished to inform you... well that the Leafmen will be leaving within a few hours. Not long before the wedding actually..."

The room idled to a tense silence for a moment. I felt my body tighten slightly, just for a second, before I exhaled. "Okay then." I replied as if I didn't care in the slightest, though that was as far from the truth as it could get. Tanya's face fell slightly, glittering brown eyes sad.

Isabelle looked deep in thought for a moment, before she turned to my lady in waiting, who looked extremely concerned. "Tanya, would you mind attending to her Highness. I'd like to finish up with Lady Mary Katherine myself."

Tanya, despite looking about as surprised as I felt, nodded obediently and fled the room with the unknown fairy. I simply starred at Isabelle for a moment. Since when did she feel like helping _me _out with anything? Especially _voluntarily?_

"Turn around child, so I can do your hair." She ordered, and I obeyed silently, fearing the woman silent wrath if I didn't oblige.

I sat there quietly while Isabelle did my curled red hair into some sort of half up half down hairstyle. It was beautiful... and reminded me way too much of the girl in the picture. In fact, the entire dress looked almost identical to the one from the picture Tarren had originally shown me of the Lady of Destiny, who despite resemblance, I _insisted _couldn't _possibly _be me.

Huh. Look where _that _argument had gotten me.

When Isabelle had finished, I couldn't resist the urge to ask

"So umm, Isabelle...? Why did you want to stay and fix me up anyways?"

And for the first time since I had met the head servant, she cracked a fairly small, but genuine smile. "Because I didn't trust anyone else to get the job done right. Of course I love and respect Tanya, but I just wanted to make sure you looked your absolute best."

I smiled, though I knew there was an ulterior motive to this little one-on-one time.

Next, the maid did makeup, which was once again that cream that Tanya hand used, as well as some stuff for eyes and lips. Upon looking in the mirror, I was surprised that it intensified all of my good features, while still looking quite natural. Whatever these girls were using down here, I was going to want some more of it.

"Okay, I think that's nearly everything. Now just the accessories." Isabelle said. She then walked over, picked up a large box from off my dresser and brought it over, opening the lid.

Inside was a fairly simple tiara formed from silver flowers, with a long gossamer veil, lace designs on the hem. It looked longer than the dress; something I was nearly _certain _to trip over. Still, if I didn't die while wearing it that is, it would be _beautiful._

"Wow, this is gorgeous. Was it...was it the queen's?"

Isabelle looked up at me and smiled. "It was mine."

I felt my mouth fall open slightly, eyes widening as I looked at the raven-haired woman. She smiled sadly as she pulled a faded picture from the bottom of the box, underneath eh precious contents, and handed it to me.

I looked at closely, and found it be a picture of Isabelle at her wedding. She looked much younger, the greying streaks having not appeared yet. It wasn't just this that made her look younger though. It was because of her smile. So wide and joyful, like she'd just obtained the world.

The man next to her had light brown, and suddenly, to my immense surprise, I realized I recognized the face. Although the now grey beard and lines had not yet appeared I knew the dark, hazel eyes.

"_**Oren?**__ He _was your husband?!"

Isabelle nodded, the same sad smile tightening. I let out a breath of shock, and stared at the picture. Both of them looked so young and ready to face the world. Kind of like I used to when...

"What happened?" I asked before I could stop myself, and then just went with it. "I mean... you guys look so happy together here..."

Isabelle chuckled, to my surprise once more. "Yes. We were... But Oren was working in the army and I was working as a servant in the palace. When Oren got promoted to General, and I to Head Servant, we both became so consumed with our work. Then... Things started getting hard for us. We were both stressed and arguing more often, and I started seeing this side of him I had never seen before. Rather than fight to work it out though we... we eventually decided we needed to go our separate ways..."

I sighed shakily, feeling the icky twinge of similarity to me and Nod...

"Is this why you wanted Tanya to go? So you could give me these? And... tell me this?"

"And to give you a word of advice. Mary Katherine," She said seriously. I noted that it was the first time she's simply called me by my name, without any of those silly titles.

"And that is?" I said nervously, though I was pretty certain I knew the answer already.

Isabelle sat down next to me and took my hand. "Child, when Oren left me, I kept trying to tell myself it was better that way, because we were needed by others, and would be able to help Willhollow more apart. I tried to convince myself it would be best for everyone if I moved on... But I couldn't move on. Not _really. _Honestly, not a day goes by that I don't regret it just a bit. Because it was better for just about everyone... _but _myself."

I closed my eyes, trying to ignore the pangs in my chest. Why was she telling me this? Right before I was supposed to get _married?! _I was _already _a nervous wreck!? This really wasn't helping. I mean, what did she expect me to do?! It was either do what I wanted and go after Nod, who didn't even _want _me anymore, or let an entire civilization die because I refused to help them!

"Look, I get that you think you know how to help me, but you don't. Your situation was a matter of life and death so don't think for a second that it would be just fine to walk away from this place and be happy like you wish you could!" I said, and immediately cringed at my own cruelty.

"I'm not saying that Mary Katherine! Just... don't do what I did. Don't do what's best for the rest of them, and make yourself miserable. Because, Willhollow's gotten itself out of sticky spots before, and it could get out of this one, but you... You only get one chance to be happy... Don't just go and throw it away."

This, to Isabelle's shock as well as my own, completely set me off. Maybe because she made me realize that I'd already thrown it away, before I even knew if it was the right choice. Regardless, I tore away from my seat on the edge of the bed and screamed.

"SHUT UP OKAY?! JUST, SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUP UP!" I screeched, even scaring myself with the height of my vocal range. Isabelle froze, her face a mask of completely shock.

"Milady I just-"

"I CAN'T _TAKE IT ANYMORE!_ Everyone, every FREAKING person _shoving _this crap in my face! 'Be happy, be happy, happy _happy __**happy!' I CAN'T BE HAPPY DAMNIT! **_There's an entire _kingdom _out there that expected a queen to be able to save them from all being _completely destroyed!_ Jennora is lying her room DYING right now, believing in _me _to _FREAKING SAVE HER! _These people _depend _on me okay? Not to _freaking mention, _a certain prince thinks he's fallen in **love** with me because we happen to be destined to get married, even though in _all honestly, _I ONLY EVEN _MET_ HIM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO!"

"Child, please keep your voice down or-"

But I was too beyond pissed at this point to stop. All the emotions I had been feeling since meeting Tarren in the woods that fateful day had been bottled up, and were now rushing out in a blast of fury, and despite being so angry and everyone and everything, it felt good to vent.

"NO DAMNIT OKAY!? Because of this freaking prophecy, my boyfriend and the Leafmen are leaving me here and I am NEVER going to see him again because he HATES ME NOW! AND ITS _ALL MY FREAKING FAULT!"  
_

And before I even knew what I was doing, I was sitting down on the stool before the large mirror and crying my eyes out. I covered my face with my hands, and let the tears slide through my fingers. I was certain I was destroying whatever Isabelle had done to my face...Oh well, she could redo it later. It was her fault I had even started screaming in the first place...

After what felt like a very long time, I was able to diminish my sobs to silent tears, and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Isabelle, sitting next to me on the floor, rubbing my back. Had she been there the whole time while I cried? I probably wouldn't have noticed...

I sniffed, wiping my nose once with a swipe of my finger. "Sorry I screamed at you."

"It's fine. You obviously needed to get it out of your system..."

I didn't reply to this, and simply starred at the floor. I hadn't realized how much all this dammed-up emotion had been filling the hole left from this whole mess. Finally removing the stopper had drained me faster than I would've thought possible. I just felt hollow and incomplete now...

And the only person that I knew could make me whole, wasn't interested in the job anymore...

"Milady," Isabelle said. "I understand you're upset... but I don't think anyone told you that you _had _to be happy... they probably all assumed you _wanted _to."

I sighed, my throat tight from crying. "I _do _want to. Who wouldn't...? But I just can't do that. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing that by thinking of only myself, I would be wiping out Willhollow. And I understand, Isabelle that you want to help me... But I want to help them more."

Isabelle looked right into my eyes, giving me the final test. "Even if you have to give up the rest of your life to do it?"

I stared right back into her dark grey eyes, and smiled, though to this day I don't know how I managed a smile in that moment. "Even then."

Isabelle sighed. "...Alright then. Well your highness... You have a wedding in a couple hours, and you're pretty much ready. I'll give you some time alone."

I took her hand and squeezed it, trying to make her feel like this wasn't a wasted conversation, and that she hadn't just upset me. Honestly, I _had _needed to get that off my chest. I mean, at least I wasn't so stressed about tripping down the aisle now?

"Thank you Isabelle, and thank you for the gift. I hope I do it justice out there."

Isabelle stood up, and I rose with her, feeling embarrassed for still sitting there sniveling on the floor. "I'm sure you will your highness."

Then Isabelle turned and walked towards the door, suddenly appearing much older and worn down. The paranoid part of my mind wondered if it was the story, or perhaps the sickness that was taking a toll on her...

Right before Isabelle exited the room however, she turned, and asked one last time. "You're really sure you want to do this?"

I nodded. "I am."

She looked hard for a moment, and then simply shook her head. "I can't imagine someone who just cried as hard as you did, as sure of anything." And disappeared into the hall, leaving me behind, staring after her, and suddenly feeling _extremely _unsure of anything...

_(Later)_

I had somehow found myself walking through the castle grounds, across the grass fields they somehow had been built up in the trees, and through the pergola pathways that stretched about the gardens. It was a nice place to stroll and think and calm myself before this afternoon

I found that I must've had a subconscious habit of playing with the old necklace that used to constantly dangled around my neck, because I kept finding myself reaching towards it and finding nothing but bare throat. _Remember moron? You tossed that stupid thing at his feet, and walked away without looking back._

I closed my eyes, expecting to feel some sort of painful twinge, but I no longer felt a thing. It was as if the screaming had completely numbed me. I almost found it funny because that was what I had been trying to do since my big fight with Nod, and now I couldn't even remember feeling the need to forget...

I sighed, as I strolled out from under the arbor that covered the path, and stepped onto a small balcony that overlooked the landing pad. I remembered that place being the first place I'd seen up close when I first arrived in Moonhaven, and seeing Tarren with his sister.

I stood and tried to remember Jenni as that little girl. The one who had been so alive and cheerful and glad to have her brother home. It was almost hard to believe that she had digressed to the pale dying child I had seen in her bedroom just yesterday and earlier today. Even harder to believe that it had only been little more than a week since I'd first met her. That was how long it'd take for her to weaken...

It was fine, I told myself. Because of what I was doing, she was going to get better. I tried to look on that side of things, instead of the "Holy crap how can I be so willing to throw my life away?' side.

Honestly, boyfriend or no boyfriend, how had they expected any girl to just leave her entire past behind and run off to save some place she'd never seen before? Did they really think she'd been living out her whole life thinking "Hmm well better not get too comfortable here since in a few years or so, some fairies are going to come pick me up so I can marry a random stranger and forget everything I'd _ever_ done beforehand."

I rolled my eyes. It didn't matter. This _was _going to save a lot of people, and that was what meant something.

As I strolled across the balcony, I caught sight of some all too familiar hummingbirds below, and felt a ghost of the sick flops in my stomach, but fought them back. The little maid girl had said they were leaving, so the fact that they would be taking off soon shouldn't have bothered me.

It was odd, but some strange, sick part of my brain was actually sad that Nod would be missing my wedding. I couldn't fathom why, since he would never want to show his face even if he weren't leaving, but it still made me feel unsettled.

_Maybe because you once believed it would be him you were walking down the aisle to. Remember that? "Mary Katherine, are you going to marry Nod?" What a load of shit, huh?_

I pinched my eyes closed, suddenly feeling the need to run away from here. I knew that if I saw him, I might start screaming about how sorry I was, and that I didn't actually want to do this...

No! I had to be stronger than that! He didn't care anymore, and I was _not _going to grovel at his feet, only for him to walk away...

So instead, I looked. It turned out I was closer to them than I thought, because I could overhear Ronin talking. "Alright men we're not going to travel far today, since It's nearly noon... I think we'll stop near Silver Creek, and leave early tomorrow.

"Yes sir." The second in command sounded off. I heard Nod scoff, but that was the only thing I could make out from him.

I starred sadly out as they all loaded up their birds and took off. I watched as nearly everyone solder took one last glance out at Willhollow, Ronin particularly, before embarking on their journey home. Everyone but Nod.

Nod was stoic. He mounted his bird and took off without ever looking back. Not even once. This bothered me most of all, of course. Wasn't he the one leaving something behind? You'd think he'd at least take on look back to me...

_Stop it MK. Stop hurting yourself like this. If you don't let him go, you're going to end up like Isabelle, full of regret. Just let him go._

_Let him go..._

"Goodbye Nod..." I whispered into the air, and although I was too quiet to reach down to the boy on the bird, somehow I knew he heard me. Something in his body language... and the speed at which he departed, as though never seeing this place for the rest of his life would be too soon.

Honestly... I might agree with him one day.

I starred out at the horizon long after Nod and the others had disappeared into it, before starting back towards the palace, but I didn't have to take more than a step or two before Tanya suddenly appeared around the corner, and took on a relieved look when she caught sight of me. I smiled, though I felt farther away from wanting to smile than ever before.

"Lady Mary Katherine!" She called out. "...It's time."

I nodded, and told her I'd be back at my room soon, before looking back towards the horizon. Biting my lip to fight back the tears, I mumble my last words to Nod.

"_Goodbye..."_

And somehow, despite the distance between us growing larger and larger, and despite him probably not wanting to, I still felt like he heard me.

* * *

**... Okay I PROMISE that is the **_**LAST **_**super depressing chapter. The next one is going to be pretty crazy though. SO PREPARE YOURSELVES!  
**

**Until Then!**

**~ Macy**


	28. This Wasn't Letting Go

**Hey guys so... you know when I posted the last part of the great ANTI-CLIMAX, and I told you that later, it was **_**STIIL **_**going to get worse?**

**Well... This is where it gets worse... and better. Some things are going to get better, and some things are going to get worse, just... bear with me, and no matter WHAT don't doubt me when I say it WILL. BE. OKAY.**

**... E-Eventually -_-**

**Anyways, chapter 28. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 28:**

**This Wasn't Letting Go**

_(MK's POV)_

"Alright Milady, you are officially ready for a wedding!" Tanya squealed excitedly as she finally got the veil's crown into perfect position. As the soft fabric flowed down my back, I couldn't help but feel the jitters. It was like seeing the veil in place had finally made this entire wedding seem...real.

I sighed, turning slightly to get the best view of myself. It was official. I looked like the spitting image of the girl in that first picture Tarren had shown me. It almost made me feel uncomfortable, like they were dressing me up to fit this perfect image of their Lady of Destiny, instead of accepting me, Mary Katherine the stomper, as I was...

Suddenly, Isabelle walked into the room, and smiled sadly when she saw me, as if she were a mother seeing her daughter about to married. I had to assume it was just the wedding accessories on my body that made her nostalgic or something.

"Umm, Milady." Isabelle said. "I just went to check on Princess Jennora. She's requesting to see you in her room before you head to the ceremony."

I sighed before and rushing down the hall to see the sick princess, soon to be sister in law. Unlike every _other _aspect of being queen, being Jenni's big sister wasn't a bad thing. She was already very special to me, so I didn't expect it to feel too different.

I made it to the child's room in record time, especially considering I needed to try not dying while wearing this awaiting-train wreck of a dress. If there was any destiny of mine, it was to get myself killed tripping in the thing.

I opened the doors and rushed to the little girl's side. She was looking less tired than usual, but a little less pale. Maybe it was the excitement of the day that gave her a little boost of energy.

"Gosh Mary Katherine, you look beautiful." She said, smiling weakly. I blushed, taking Jenni's hand. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Same old, I guess. I'm really excited for the wedding though. I wish I could go..."

I squeezed her hand softly, trying to comfort her. "Tell you what, as soon as the wedding is over, I'll take some cake from the after party and bring it _right _to you, and we can eat together and I'll tell you all about it, okay?"

Jenni giggled. "Okay... Oh! I almost forgot why I asked you to come."

I laughed as the girl then turned and searched the table on the other side of the bed. "Forget what? You don't have to give me anything you know I..." I trailed off though, and my heart clenched when the sick little girl revealed the all too familiar item she had been searching for.

A brown leather cord, with a silver-stone moon dangling at the end.

I stood speechless, unable to understand how she'd gotten it. The last time I'd seen it was when... was when I tossed it at Nod's feet, and left it in the dust. How had she...?

"H-How did you get this?" I asked, reaching my fingers as though to touch the moonstone, but then recoiling like I was afraid the charm could harm me in some way. Perhaps it could? Perhaps it already had...?

Jenni's answer drew me out of my thoughts. "A couple days ago I saw Tarren holding it. When I asked him where _he'd _gotten it, he said he picked it up after you'd thrown it the night you told Nod to leave Willhollow. I asked him for it because I figured it was important to you... And I think you should wear it today..."

The princess then leaned forward to clasp it around my neck, but I held my hand up, keeping the necklace from coming any closer. Jenni's face fell slightly. "Please...?"

I sighed, thinking about the disapproval of wearing something from Moonhaven to a Willhollow wedding. "Jenni I _can't_ wear this. Everyone will-"

"So what if they do?" She asked, almost challenged, making me freeze again. Jenni huffed. "I know it's a little sad, because of everything that happened, but I think it's a good idea. It'll remind everyone of where you came from; that you're not just the Lady of Destiny, the girl who was brought here to marry Tarren. It'll show them that you had a life and a name before this. It'll show them that you have a home."

I smiled, letting out a breathy sob, and wrapped my arms around the sick child, before letting her clasp the cord around my neck.

"Thank you Jenni... I promise I'll come visit as soon as I possibly can, and I'll make you better..."

Jenni laughed. "I'll see you Mary Katherine. You'll do great!"

I smiled at the little girl as I hurried out of the room, necklace still around my neck. It suddenly felt very heavy and out of place, as if I were wearing some light-up sign around my neck that read "ENEMY!" right across my chest. I was supposed to be letting Nod and Moonhaven and everything else go!

This wasn't letting go...

I sighed. Jenni was right though. These people, even if subconsciously, were trying to mold into the perfect image of their Lady of Destiny, and showing a little bit of rebellion would be a good thing. It would show them that I wasn't just 'Milady'. I was Mary Katherine the Stomper. I _had _come from Moonhaven and that wasn't something I was ashamed of... at least, not yet...

Tanya and Isabelle were waiting for me outside the door, and quickly led me outside where the ceremony was going to be held. I suddenly thought of something that hadn't crossed my mind yet.

"Wait, who's gonna walk me down the aisle?" I asked.

"I believe Captain Oren will be having the honor." Isabelle stated flatly as we rushed towards the place. If I hadn't heard the woman's story, I might not have detected the extra hint of emotion in her voice, or at least brushed it off as her usual grumpy, anti-interactive self.

We got there much fast than I had hoped, and I was starting to feel my heart speed up. I began pacing, just a corner turn away from the gated-in amphitheater where this thing was going to be held. It was where they had kingdom-wide meetings, celebrations,

And royal weddings.

"Tanya," I gasped, feeling the same waves of panic that I'd felt at the ball, only intensified now. "I _really _don't think I can do this..."

Tanya sighed, and placed both hands on my shoulders. "Mary Katherine, you are going to do absolutely fine. I promise! You'll be in and out in no time, just like the dance at the ball. That went perfectly!"

"T-This is different Tanya..." I stuttered, feeling my legs ready to collapse, and this time, Tarren wouldn't be there as something to hold on to. He'd be there as the man to say 'I Do' to...

Oh my gosh... Was I even ready for that?!

"Tanya I changed my mind, I don't want to get married! I just... I can't..." I gasped, definitely on the verge of hyperventilation. Tanya shook me slightly, not too hard to keep my veil in place. "MK! Keep it together! You're going to be fine..."

I took deep breaths. Yes, Tanya's right, I told myself. You are going to walk down that aisle like it was a walk down the sidewalk. You are going to say those two silly words to that sweet blonde boy standing by, and then you are going to kiss him. It's simple...

Tanya walked over to watch as the gates began to open, and the first group of people began walking down. Soon, sooner than I could've imagined, Captain Oren was linking his arm with mine, whispering something I couldn't have heard if I'd tried to, and we were walking. I could've sworn I was seeing spots.

This was beyond wedding jitters. This was the sickening feeling of walking towards the gallows_. This is a wedding Mk! Not an execution. Get a grip!_

But... This all still felt wrong. The 'kissing-Tarren-in-the-garden' wrong, or the 'telling-Nod-to-leave-me' kind of wrong. There was just something in my natural instincts that told me this was not the path I was supposed to take. Was it possible that these instincts were hardwired differently than my destiny was? Was I the one who needed to change?

...Or did destiny need to do a little changing?

Ever since this whole Willhollow thing had begun, I had tried to imagine actually going to Willhollow, leaving Moonhaven and the Leafmen and my boyfriend behind, and some of it almost seemed plausible.

Leaving Nod wasn't though.

He had been an essential part of my existence. It was like air, like something vital to living. Oxygen didn't just decide to bail the first second some whack job decided they didn't need it anymore, right? It lingered, it surrounded them and kept them alive. It fought to be with them.

I hadn't fought to be with him.

I had hurt him, and when he had acted hurt, I had walked away and left him bleeding in the dirt. What kind of person did that?! A sick, selfish person. I hadn't even apologized to him... I'd just watched him fly back home without me...

With all this thinking I had been doing, I didn't even realize I was walking down the aisle until I was almost at the end. I saw Tarren's face, happy and relieved that his home was going to be saved.

_See MK? This is the right choice. You're going to save Willhollow. Why isn't that good enough? Why can't Tarren, and Willhollow, and being a flipping __**queen**__ just be __**GOOD **__enough for you?_

...Because they weren't Nod.

"... 'til death do you part?" The priest of Willhollow spoke, and Tarren smiled at me, squeezing my hand softly. "I do."

I blinked, as if just realizing where I was. Had he already done all the speaking? Jeez they cut right to the chase in Fairy Town didn't they.

"And do you, Mary Katherine of Moonhaven..."

I thought about this for a moment, ignoring what he was actually saying. _Did_ I?

To be honest, I had no idea. I was standing there, about to be married to a man I'd met _two_ weeks ago, and I had absolutely no idea what I was supposed to do...

What was I supposed to do?!

"_Well... What do you __**want **__to do?" _The voice in my head suggested, and I thought about that for a moment.

What _did_ I want to do?

"..._I don't think anyone told you that you __**had**__ to be happy... they probably all assumed you __**wanted**__ to."_

"_I want you to be happy too Mary Katherine, and I want to be the one to make you happy if I can."_

"_I mean, do you think you're doing what right for __**you**__?"_

"_...Whatever you end up doing, I just want to make sure that you're happy. That's all I want you to do. Be happy."_

_**Be happy...**_

"...'Til death do _you _part?" The priest asked, this time to me. I blinked, and simply starred at the man for a moment. Tarren stiffened slightly, and leaned toward me discretely.

"C'mon Mary Katherine," He whispered. "He just asked you. You're supposed to say 'I do'"

What did I want to do?

I wanted to be happy. And there was only one person who could make me that...

"No..." I stated, coming into realization of what I was about to do. "...Are you crazy? _No!"_ I said it as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, and to me, it was. It was so obvious that I'd overlooked it; because I was trying to fit myself into what everyone _else _had thought was the answer.

The whole time, my answer had been Nod, and it had take me almost _marrying_ someone else to see that.

Of course, then the crowd gasped, and I realized exactly what I'd just done. I'd just rejected the Prince of Willhollow, _at _the alter of the wedding that would've saved the kingdom, in front of _everyone._

_Once again, nice job moron._

I sighed, wrapping both my hands around one of Tarren's. "Tarren... I'm sorry. I really do care about you...but not like this. There's only going to be one person that I could _ever_ love like this..." And as I said these words, I realized that no truer words had ever passed my lips. In the end, Nod was the only answer.

"And I promise," I continued, so as not to scare anyone any more than I already had, judging by the shocked and silenced faces of the monumental crowd. "I promise that I will do absolutely _whatever _I have to to save this place, even if I _do _have to stay here. I'll do whatever it takes... _except _marry you. I'm really sorry Tarren... I'm just not in love with you."

I looked up at the prince's eyes once I'd finished my speech, and where I'd expected to find hurt, I found understanding instead. "I know." He said.

I blinked. "Y-you do?"

Tarren smiled sadly. "I could tell the moment you said you were staying that you weren't actually going to do it. Because even when you said it...you were still looking at him, the way you were from the beginning... Right then, I knew it was never going to be me."

I sighed, wrapping my arms around him. He was such a kind person, and it was true, the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him. There were some things that needed to be taken care of between a certain Leafman and me though.

Releasing Tarren from my hold and saying goodbye, I was suddenly racing back up the aisle, towards the open gate, the sound of confused and concerned chatter all around me. I tuned it out there. I had to find a bird and go after Nod as soon as possible. I had to apologize and explain everything that happened. Even if he didn't forgive me, even if he flew back to Moonhaven and left me for naught, I knew I had to try.

Because at least he would know. Despite turning me away, he would know that no matter how long I lived or whomever I met, I would never love anyone as much as I loved him. Simply because no one else could ever be him.

I was almost to the gate, and halfway through figuring out how to even find the Leafman troop when, suddenly, the gates harshly slammed shut. When I reached them and tried to pull them open, they refused to budge.

"What?" I said, annoyed. If this was some pissed off fairy trying to irritate me...

I turned around, and suddenly, the entire crowd was screaming as hoards of fairy thugs clad in black rained down from the sky, and began attacking the soldiers, while also locking the place down.

Oh. _Much _worse than some pissed off fairy.

The screams of the people rang out as huge nets spread over the top of the fenced in garden, keeping any winged creature form escape the premises.

Panicked, I started running towards Tarren, who had grabbed a sword and was trying to fight off some of the enemy fairies, when I suddenly felt two pairs of rough arms grab mine, and pull me back.

I screamed. "No! Let _go!" _I screeched, ripping one arm free and swing it at the other guy. It lit up gold just as it came in contact, sparking and blasting the man back.

"_Stay __**back.**__" _I threatened, holding my glowing hand like a gun towards the slowly growing mob of men circling me, as well as taking down soldiers and making sure the citizens of Willhollow remained seated, or got killed.

Terrified and panicked, I just began blasting them away like monsters in an arcade shooting game, which only added to the chaos. I would've been able to get away too, if it hadn't been for a gloved hand suddenly grabbing my arm and hauling me up into the air, just below the now netted ceiling, and carrying me down to the stage.

"Hey HEY!" He shouted, suddenly covering my mouth with one hand, and holding down my body in a gripped lock with other. Tarren saw what had become of me, and screamed for all the men to stand down.

"That's more like it." He said slyly, and it was then that I suddenly recognized the voice...

"O-Oren?" Tarren stuttered, and you could hear the hurt in his voice. "What are you... L-let her go!" He yelled. Oren simply smirked, and I fought against his hold. It seemed impossible. How could he have...? He was the captain of Tarren's army! His right-hand man! What did he think he was _doing?!_

"Well now that I've got everyone' attention, I'm going to try and make things simple." He said, almost humorously. I wriggled, and he dug his hand into my wrist harder, making me squeak. Tarren flinched, as if my pain were hurting him as well.

"So... So this whole time. All those attacks... that was all you?" Tarren asked, the sting of betrayal evident in his voice.

"Yup" Oren replied as if it meant nothing.

"And all you wanted was what? Power? The crown?"

"Pretty much both.

"Oren...I can't believe you! How could you betray your home like this?!" Tarren demanded, causing the former captain to laugh.

"What boy?! You didn't honestly expect me to sit by and watch an inexperienced prince and some random, freak brat take over the kingdom did you?! I SHOULD'VE BEEN THE ONE TO BE CROWNED KING! Not some worthless child who couldn't even hope to live up to his pathetic father. You're a disappointment to all of Willhollow..."

I squirmed once more, and this time, Oren twisted my arm, causing me to scream, though it was still muffled by his hand. Tarren jumped toward the stage, and was apprehended my two of whom I assumed were Oren's thugs. Furious and desperate now, I opened my mouth and bit Oren's hand as hard as I could.

"AGH!" He shouted, throwing me harshly to the ground. The veil came out of place, clattering to the stone floor, and my hair fell as well. Another man grabbed me and held my arms behind my back, but at least I could speak now.

"Now then," Oren continued, addressing the silent and terrified crowd. "My conditions are fairly simple. I require the crown, the powers of the Lady of Destiny, and the surrender and lifetime imprisonment of Prince Tarren, and anyone who _dares_ oppose me."

Tarren spat "Like I would ever surrender to someone trying to take over my kingdom." I nodded.

Oren shrugged indifferently, before gesturing towards a couple other men. They smiled sickeningly, and opened a set of double doors that led to the palace. My eyes shot opened, horrified when I heard the young screams that erupted upon opening. Tarren began thrashing violently against the men holding him down.

"JENNI!"

Oren smiled, and it was more sickeningly evil than his minions'. "Oh so _that _gets your attention."

Tarren was absolutely livid now. I was surprised his mouth wasn't foaming with how furious he looked. "OREN YOU BASTARD YOU LET HER GO RIGHT NOW!"

To this Oren laughed, and Jenni's squeals were heard once more. I fought against the hand holding me down, tears forming in my eyes. _"JENNI!"_

Finally, the soldiers appeared, hauling in the frail, sickly blond girl clad in nothing but a white, now grime-stained nightgown, crying and flailing her arms. I screamed and fought against the thug's hold. "JENNI! _You let her go damnit!"_

"Oh, but that wouldn't be very wise on my part, now would it Lady of Destiny." Oren cackled, causing me to glare menacingly at him. "Giving up my most powerful pawn? Wouldn't be very wise at all. No, I need the little brat to get Tarren to cooperate."

Suddenly, the solders threw the child to the ground, causing her to skid to the center of the stadium. I screamed again, but I couldn't break away. I could only watch helplessly as the sick girl tried to pick herself up. Tarren looked completely broken though. "Oren _please... _just... just stop hurting her. She's just a child..."

Oren smiled. "Will you give up Willhollow to me? In return, I won't kill the brat."

Tarren's anger flared again, and he jerked, but his face contorted in pain, and he looked away. I saw the looks of the people watching. They were giving up as well, deciding the life of their princess was more important than Oren taking over at the moment.

Tarren sighed. "Yes. Yes you can have control Oren. Please just let her go."

Oren laughed, as if Tarren's proposition were any sort of laughing matter. "Why, let her _go? _Boy, she's a valuable captive! No I promised not to kill her, but I'll be holding onto this one for a while longer." Then he signaled for one of his goons to take care of the little hostage. I starred helplessly as Jenni, sick and frail, tried crawling towards her brother. Suddenly, the man who Oren called on, scooped her up harshly, and she screamed.

"NO! TARREN!"

"_NO!" _I yelled, feeling my hand pulse. Vines blasted through the ground and knocked the thug holding me away, and I rushed towards the one carrying Jenni, blasting him back as well with a swipe of the vine, and grabbing Jenni. My hands went out as I wrapped myself around the crying, terrified child.

"It's gonna be okay, Jenni" I said, stroking her hair through tears and I jerked away from the hands that were now reaching for us. Jenni screamed again as someone else ripped her away from me, and then I shouted as another lifted me up by the arm. Before I knew what was happening, a strong hand struck itself across my cheek, resulting in a loud WHAP!

I felt to the ground, grabbing my face that now stung so bad I was sure it was on fire. I heard Tarren screaming and a blur of other voice, but I was starting to see spots again, and this wasn't from the nerves.

"That ought to teach you a lesson bitch." Oren sneered, before grabbing me once more. "Men! Clear this area. I want Willhollow on total lockdown. Make sure everyone in secure, and I want their royal highnesses locked in their rooms for some time out."

"Yes sir... but what about you sir? What do you intend to do with the girl?"

Oren smiled. "Oh, I've got a nice little situation set up downstairs for her. She's too dangerous to be left attended with you buffoons."

Then he looked down at me, and I had to curl away, simply because his facial expression was too terrifying. "Or at least, she is now. I'll be taking care of those bothersome powers of hers soon enough."

I cringed in pain as he then began dragging me through the doors they'd brought Jenni through, and during this time, watching these enemy minions take over all of Willhollow, dragging Tarren and Jenni and the other servants away, I realized.

I was _never_ going to see Nod again...

* * *

**Yeeeaaahh I'd like to know how many of you people saw that coming. Honestly when I thought of it I was like "OOOOOOHHH that would make everyone completely explode!" Err... hopefully at least.**

**So yeah... at least she wants to go back to Nod now! Like I said, it was going to be okay, and **_**that **_**aspect of it will continue to get better.**

**Other things... not so much.**

**What can I say I like causing mayhem! Especially when I know how wonderful the ending is going to be. **

**But seriously guys, some of you have been like "If you don't fix MK and Nod right now then I'm going to leave the story", and I don't know how to make you stay without spoiling the story. So just... PLEASE keep reading because it **_**WILL. BE. OKAY! **_**Like **_**seriously **_**trust me...**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy **


	29. The Way I Had

**Alright so this chapter is pretty short, and we're still gonna be in MK's pov for this chapter and the next. However, there's an important plot twist in this chapter so just be ready for it.**

**Also, I think because this chapter is so short, I'm gonna post both 29 and 30 today. Tomorrow, we'll head back and see what Nod's up to. XD**

**So yeah, Chapter 29. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 29:**

**The Way I Had...**

_(MK's POV)_

"Agh!" I yelled as the former general dragged me harshly down an extremely tight, stone, spiral staircase, completely dark save for only a mounted torch at the base, and then a chain of them that extended all the way down a long hallway. There were dozens of rooms, stone on all sides except the front, which was caged in with metal bars.

"So is this the place where you torture me to get information? Or where you gloat about how incredibly genius your takeover plan is?" I asked mockingly. Oren just snorted, before unlocking one of cells down a ways and tossing me inside. "Um the second one sounds about right."

I jumped up before he could shut the gate, and began throwing a glowing gold fist at him. He didn't flinch or really react at all as my hand grew closer, but mumbled a few inaudible words and help his open hand out.

My hand collided with his and, without any warning, there was a huge sparking explosion as I was suddenly thrust back against the floor of the cell.

"Ugh... H-how did you...?" I stuttered. He had just taken the entire blow to his bare palm, and didn't have so much as a scratch on him. How was that even possible? Oren smirked.

"Old trick. I've just disabled your powers temporarily."

My jaw dropped in shock, and I aimed my hand at him again, but just as he'd predicted, there was nothing. Not only that, but I _felt _nothing. That electric charge that buzzed through me like an adrenaline rush when I used my powers...

It was gone.

The man's smirk widened. "Yeah learned it from the old priest of Willhollow He's actually locked here somewhere. This is where I keep 'high-level criminals' a.k.a. people who I need to keep out of my way. He simply knew too much about what I was up to."

I scoffed, though I was still sore from being blasted back by my own power. "So how long have you actually been up to this little plot? Since Tarren got the letter?"

To this, Oren surprising let out a cackle. "Oh no darling, I was planning this takeover _years_ before that. Ever since Old King Coal of Willhollow passed away... In _fact, __**I'm **_the one who killed him, and poisoned dear Queen Rheina."

I gasped, remembering the picture of the king and queen in that hallway. "Oren how _could _you?! She was a mother, she had children! Think of how much you were hurting Tarren and Jenni!" I yelled. He turned away, letting the insult fall on deaf ears. I shook my head in disbelief. This man had absolutely no heart.

"Dear, I don't think you completely understand...I had been living in the shadow of the royal family for my entire life! King Darius was a fool, who tried ruling his kingdom like a weakling would. Softly... a powerful place such as Willhollow should be ruled by someone who knows how to conquer the world!

"If _I _were king of this wretched place, we'd have taken control of the entire forest!" He yelled, almost to himself, and I felt myself moving away from him, afraid despite the cell's bars separating us.

Oren smirked once more. "But I suppose that doesn't matter now. Soon enough, I'll have all the power I need, thanks to the Lady of Destiny herself."

I glared. "Like I'd ever help a _monster_ like you..."

"Oh I didn't expect you to. No, no, you can never control someone more powerful than yourself, no matter what form of blackmail you can come up with."

Then he moved towards me, wrapping his hands around the bars, causing me to move to the back of the cell, back against the wall. "No darling, I plan to drain you of every last drop of that precious magic of yours. Why do you think I forged that letter that Tarren got? I needed to get you and your all your bells and whistles to Willhollow."

My eyes widened, a gasping breath escaping my lips. "You... you _forged the letter? _The one that Tarren's mom left for him?! _That was a __**fake?!"**_

Oren smiled. "As was the silly tale that you had to marry Tarren to save Willhollow. You see, I needed something that would keep you here long enough that I could find out more about your powers, and how much effort I'd have to put into removing them and such. A wedding seemed as good as any other plan..."

I starred at the stone-tiled floor of my cell, feeling the soft, almost-ragged breaths in my throat. Despite the fact that I was locked in a cell by a madman bent on taking over Willhollow and disposing of all my friends and me, only a single thought registered in my brain.

_I don't have to marry Tarren. _

"So... all those stories and prophecies about the Lady of Destiny are fake..."

"Oh no." Oren contradicted. "No, only the one about you needing to marry the prince. The rest about the Lady of Destiny coming to Willhollow to save it are all real tales written by the Great Prophet centuries ago."

"And you aren't afraid that you're the one I'm supposed to save it from?" I asked, although my threat didn't seem nearly _as _threatening as when I'd had my powers.

Oren laughed. "No, not really. You see milady, the stories may be true, but they hold no resonance with me. I don't believe in prophecies, and I don't believe in destinies. I do however believe in power, and _you _my dear happen to a _lot _of it. So not to be too greedy... but I'd like to have it for myself if you don't mind."

"Then why don't you just take it already?!" I yelled. "Why go to all the trouble of locking me in a cage? You should just take these damn powers I don't want them anymore!"

These powers, this ability I had been given as the Lady of Destiny...All it had done was hurt the people I cared about. Nothing good had come of any of these things... I just wanted them gone. I wanted to be normal again...

"Oh, well the procedure to revoke your powers can only be done beneath the light of a full moon, which isn't until tomorrow night, midnight exactly."

I gasped. "The ceremony heal Willhollow... You were planning to take my powers then?"

"Well yes! Of course then you had to decide to run out on us last minute and we couldn't have that. Honestly child, you've made these last couple weeks or so much more difficult than they needed to be"

I was going to make some snarky retort, but we suddenly heard heaving footsteps coming from the staircase that I'd first entered from. A man suddenly appeared.

"Lord Oren. We need you up top to give orders, sir."

Oren turned back to me. "Well, duty calls! If you have any more questions I'm sure your prison mates would be glad to fill you in. They haven't had any new friends in quite a while."

And with that, the man walked off after one of his thug servants, but turned back once more before disappearing to wreak more havoc upon Willhollow

"Oh, and Mary Katherine?"

I looked up at him.

He grinned. "You might not want to be so ready to throw away your powers, considering there's a little to no percent chance of you _actually _surviving the ceremony..."

And then he disappeared up the stairwell, leaving me alone in this tiny stone cage, where the next time I was to see daylight, was when I was taken to be _slaughtered_ by a criminal mastermind!

Without Oren's presence there to make me suck it up, the full gravity of the situation began weighing down on me like an avalanche. Willhollow had been taken over. I wasn't sure who, if anyone, had escaped.

Tomorrow evening, they were going to kill me. I was going to be _dead._

And Nod was never going to know.

He was going to go back to Willhollow, believing I was getting happily married at this exact moment. He was going to go back home, and probably sulk for a long time. He'd move on eventually though, and find someone else, someone who wasn't going to hurt him the way I had...

I figured the news would reach him eventually, but not in time to be able to do anything about it. What really disturbed me the most, more than dying itself, was that I was never going to see him again. My last memories of him were going to me watching him run off while I accepted Tarren's proposal, or him saying he wished he never met me...

That was when I began to cry.

I don't remember how long exactly I sat there, clutching the moon necklace and letting the silent tears fall down, but I was dragged up out of my sorrows by a voice. A withered, but strong-willed voice.

"Milady?" It said. I looked up, and saw that right across from me was a little old man, possibly shorter than I was, and skinny to the bone. He wore raggedy pants and a torn up shirt, and had a beard that would've made any fairy tail troll proud.

"W-Who are you?" I stuttered, rising shakily from my curled up position on the floor, and walked towards the bars. He looked like one of those old hillbilly dudes, the kind that hitch-hiked on trains in movies and stuff.

"Milady, I am Aaron, the Prophet of Willhollow. It is my honor to finally meet the legendary Lady of Destiny."

I scoffed, "Yeah well somehow I'm not feeling so 'legendary' right now... but thank you. Are you the one Oren was talking about? The man that he said 'knew too much'?"

The priest sighed. "Yes that is me. I saw in one of my visions, Oren coming and destroying Willhollow with fire and light erupting from his hands... And when I tried to warn the people, they brushed me off as having finally lost my mind. That was when Oren locked me away here, and told the people I had died of old age."

I let out a shaky breath. How many other people had this monster hurt behind the scenes? "When did that happen?"

To my surprise, the priest smiled. "Not long after-"

We were cut off by the groggy voice of someone in the cell to the left of the Aaron. The priest smiled. "Not long after he took _her _actually."

I raised an eyebrow as the woman moved to the front of her cell as well. She looked unwell and skinny, body covered in filth. Her hair might have once been a blonde or light brown color, but now appeared dark from being matted with dirt.

The one thing that struck me about her however, were her eyes. They were a honey-brown, more faded here, but still frighteningly familiar. It was then that it struck me who she was, and at the same time who she _couldn't _be...

"Oh...oh my gosh...Y-you... Y-you're..."

The lady smiled sadly. "Yes, I am."

Then Aaron spoke to the woman."Your majesty, I would like to introduce you to the Lady of Destiny. Milady...Her majesty, the queen of Willhollow. Queen Rheina."

* * *

**XDDD Yes I just went there. I really do enjoy trippy plot twists/ cliffhangers, and probably assume I'm better at them than I actually am. Regardless...**

**Now I'm gonna go get ready to see Frozen for the third time. Such a great movie... But yeah trippy stuff. It's gonna get trippier too.**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	30. Come Back to Me

**Well here's the second post of the day. Am i awesome or am I awesome? XDD**

**This will be the last chapter with MK's pov for several chapters ahead i think. Idk i have to proofread and make sure, but yeah. I'm excited to see what happens. So here's chapter 30.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 30:**

**Come Back to Me**

_(MK's POV)_

"...No... You're _dead!" _I shouted, staggering back. It was just... impossible! Tarren had told me all about his mother's death, even told me where the grave was. This... this just couldn't be _possible!_

"Milady please, you need to calm down." The priest said, but I was too freaked out.

"H-How... How is this even possible?" I whispered.

The queen suddenly grabbed the bars of her cell. "Wait! My children, Tarren and Jennora. Are they alright? Are they hurt?!" She asked frantically, and my fear subsided slightly, replaces by pity. However it had happened that she _wasn't _dead_, _the fact was that she was here, and hadn't seen her children in who knows how long...

"Yes they're fi..." I began, cut off, remembering that they really weren't. "I think Tarren's okay for now but... Jenni's sick. From the Willhollow plague... I'm sorry I should've done something earlier. It was my job to heal Willhollow..."

I saw the woman close her eyes, and try to hold back a sob. "That beast Oren is going to pay for this..." And then she looked back up at me. "Child, you've been completely misinformed about everything here. Willhollow isn't dying at all."

I blinked, completely shocked. What did she...?

"W-What do you mean? I saw the people! I saw your daughter sick in bed because the life was reseeding and-"

Queen Rheina shook her head. "No that's not possible, because Oren's had me keeping Willhollow alive from down here. Whoever got sick was intentionally poisoned..."

"I... can't believe this... so Oren was poisoning the people in Willholllow? He poisoned Jenni?!" I said, completely infuriated. The priest just sighed in response.

"And the only reason I even came to Willhollow in the first place, was all a _lie?! _I literally had _no reason _to even come?!" I added, unable to mask the anger.

The priest shook his head. "No child. The prophecy will come true..."

I threw my hands in the air. "_What prophecy?! _You just told me Oren faked the entire thing?!"

"It's true," Queen Rheina said. "That you were not brought here to marry Tarren, but the legend of the Lady of Destiny joining with the Leader of Willhollow to save it, still stands. Not for you to marry him, but to fight with him."

I scoffed. "Yeah well in case you haven't noticed, Captain Takeover kinda disabled my 'powers' so I don't see that's going to work..." Then I flopped down on to the floor of the cell. This was a complete nightmare...

"Milady?" The queen asked. I didn't look up, but replied. "The name's Mary Katherine."

"Okay, Mary Katherine... Listen, I know this home is not your own, and that you have every right to wish to leave it behind... but this place is _my_ home, and I haven't been able to walk the halls of my own palace in years. I haven't seen my children's faces in _years... _So I'm begging you... Help us."

I sighed, and looked over at the queen. Her brown eyes were pleading and desperate.

And I smiled.

"You Majesty, with all due respect, if you really thought you were going to have to _beg_ the Lady of Destiny to help you, then you must be in worse shape than I thought."

The queen smiled, tears forming in her eyes. I thought about what it must've been like down here in this pit for so long, without so much as a shred of hope that anyone could help. Now the Lady of Destiny had come.

And had gotten locked up along with her...

We spent the rest of the afternoon talking. The queen told me about everything that Oren had plotted. He had poisoned her with a substance that would make her appear dead, long enough or him to bring her body back here and revive it.

Rheina had then spent the years rotting away in this cell, only being kept alive because Oren needed her to keep Willhollow alive. As soon as he had gained the power of the Lady of Destiny, he wouldn't need her anymore...

"I couldn't even imagine..." I whispered as I listened to the queen's tale. And I really couldn't. To be locked inside this kind of place for _years _on end... It was a nightmare.

"I promise," I said, when she'd finished. "I'm going to get us out of here, and you're going to see your kids again."

The queen's smile of gratitude was enough to make me determined, but I still couldn't see how I was supposed to escape this in the first place.

It now felt like evening, though I couldn't be sure since they're were no windows or doors down here. As far as I could tell, the only means of escape were by the spiral staircase, which was left unguarded. The only problem was I couldn't bust past this stupid cage, and my powers were pretty much kaput.

After hours of pacing, tracing drawings in the dirt, and trying to get my powers to start working again, I had finally settled to lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling. Queen Rheina and the priest had fallen asleep a while ago. I guess when you were locked in a room with nothing but a dusty stone floor, sleeping was the only real efficient way to pass the time.

I couldn't have fallen asleep if I wanted to. Maybe it was just the fact that Oren was planning on killing me tomorrow, or maybe the two had been down here for so long that it just didn't bother them anymore; the idea of falling asleep in a closed box.

As I starred at the same spot on the ceiling, where a small crack ran along the stone, I thought about Nod, and what he would do if he were the one locked in here. He'd probably pace around, trying relentlessly to think of a way to escape, and somehow make me laugh, even though we were facing possible death.

I'd be scared, and he'd wrap his arms around me, and tell me he would die before he let anyone hurt me, and I'd believe him. Because I knew that if it were him, I'd do the same thing...

I turned over my side, and began curling into a fetal position, tears streaming down my face. I hadn't missed the presence of another person this much since my mom had passed away. It just... Wasn't possible to function without him.

Had I not been spiraling into my own pit of depression, I might have laughed at the irony of it. It had taken me getting locked in a prison cell, with a death sentence hanging over my head, to remember how much I was in love with that boy... And I had thrown it all away...

I must've been zoning out more than I had though, because I began to become aware of a loud thumping sound against the back wall of my cell. I slowly rose up from my place on the ground, and began backing away. My heart was beginning to race.

Suddenly, a couple of stones in the wall began to loosen, and I jumped as a small hole suddenly fell apart in the wall. I watched and waited for some sign of life, when I suddenly heard the most wonderful voice in the world.

"Mary Katherine? Are you in there?"

"_Jenni?! _How on earth did you...? Oh my gosh!" I squealed as I rushed over to the hole the girl had made. It wasn't very large, only big enough for us to look at each other through and grab each other's hands.

"Oh thank goodness! I was knocking on the wall forever trying to get you to answer. I wasn't sure if you were in there."

"Jenni how on earth did you get out of the castle?!"

The blonde girl smiled. "Isabelle, Tanya, and a couple other maids were hiding in the cellar. Isabelle was able to distract the guards long enough for me to escape."

"Are they alright?"

"Yeah the way in is hidden, and so far none of the bad guys have found the door. I had to get out though, because I'm gonna bust you out of here!"

"Oh no, no, no. There's no time for that..." I thought out loud, beginning to pace the cell and try and think of what could be done

With how weak Jenni was, she would take much too long to break me out. We would have no hope of getting me out without getting caught, and then we'd be doubly screwed. I had to face facts. Without my powers, I was just as useless as when Tarren had first found me in Moonhaven...

Wait... Moonhaven...

That was it!

"Jenni!" I said, turning back to the sick princess. "Can you fly a bird?"

She blinked. "Umm yeah kind of but I don't see how this relates to-"

"Nod! And the Leafmen! I overheard them say they were camping near a place called Silver's Creek. Do you know where that is?"

Jenni's eyes brightened. "Oh yes! Tarren used to take me there to collect flowers. I know where it is."

"I need you to get a bird and get there as quickly as you _possibly_ can. Tell Nod and the others everything that happened, and tell them that they're planning to take my powers at twilight tomorrow. Can you do that?"

Jenni looked extremely nervous. "Umm yes but what about you, I can't leave you hear?!"

I grabbed her hand once more, and stared right into her eyes. "No you listen to me. The only people who can help us now are the Leafmen. Now they're going to kill me tomorrow night and use my powers to take over Willhollow, so the best thing you can do is to get them here _before_ that happens, okay?"

Jenni nodded, a glint of new determination in her eyes. I squeezed her hand once more, wishing it didn't have to be her. What if her sickness got so bad that she collapsed before she got there...?

No! She was going to be fine. "Alright Jenni. Go! Go as fast as you can!"

The blonde child nodded, and turned to go, but there was one last thing I'd forgotten to tell her. "Jenni wait!"

She turned her head, eyebrow raised curiously. "What is it?"

I sighed sadly. "Tell Nod... that I'm sorry. That I take every word back, and that I hope he can find _some _way to forgive me..."

Jenni smiled sympathetically. "He will, Mary Katherine. I don't doubt that." And then she stealthily took off towards the stables to get a bird and find the Leafmen.

Without her there, I suddenly felt hollow and useless, and felt myself collapse to the ground before my brain was aware of what was going on. I covered my mouth, feeling tears running down my cheeks and over the fingers clasped over my sobbing lips. I didn't want to wake the Aaron or the queen...

I suddenly realized I'd forgotten to tell Jennora that her mother was here. I sighed, sniffing softly and wiping my cheeks as I looked towards the sleeping queen's prison cell. It was alright, I told myself. We were going to get out of here.

And we were going to make Oren pay for taking away everything that we cared about.

_Nod... come back to me._

* * *

**TT_TT THE FEEEEEELZ! DX Honestly i'm just thinking about everything that's gonna happen, and it's almost just too much!**_  
_

**So yeah. Nod's gonna be coming back tomorrow! Very exciting.**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	31. How Could I?

**XD I'm gonna be honest I was excited to post this chapter since I first wrote it like two months ago. Because as an author, I'm sort of discovering the story as I write it the same way you guys are when you read it. **

**Like whenever I think of a plot twist, I basically have the same reaction as when you guys**_** read**_** the plot twist. So yeah, this chapter I've been excited for because Nod realizes he's been a **_**moron **_**XD.**

**So yeah, chapter 31. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 31:**

**How Could I?**

_(Nod's POV)_

I rolled my eyes, as I poked the dying fire to try and liven it up. It seemed about as stubborn as I felt however, and took an awful lot of work to build up. "I don't see why we had to stop so soon. We could've kept going for at least another two hours."

Ronin sighed leaning against the stone that served as a backrest, crossing his arms to and fight off the slight night chill. "Nod I told you the plan already. We're stopping here to stock up on supplies, and then traveling all day tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes, laying my poker stick next to the makeshift fire pit, and stared into the flames, starting to zone out. Every time I did so however, my thoughts would drift back to her...

"Nod... You know things aren't going to get easier once you get home right?" Ronin suddenly cut into my daydreaming. I blinked, before my eyebrows furrowed. But before I could reply, he cut in.

"Listen... Nod I've seen you with other girls as you've grown up, but _this... _this has been something _completely_ different... I _know_ you're not going to forget about her..."

I clenched my teeth to hold back my voice, though whether I was afraid of letting a shout or a sob escape, I couldn't tell. I knew he was right... and I also knew that for my sake, and MK's that he had to be wrong.

"Ronin..." And then just like a bubble, I popped, standing right up. "Yeah, _I know _I'm not going to forget her! I'm going to go back to Moonhaven and only be able to think about her for the rest of my _life_ most likely! And it's going to completely _kill _me, okay Ronin?! Is that what you wanted me to say?!"

Ronin stared right into my eyes his expression hard and unwavering despite my raised voice. I was surprised I hadn't woken up the others by now, but that thought was pushed to the back of my mind by Ronin's reply.

"No Nod... I just don't want to sit here and watch you miss her for the rest of your life... I want you to go back and do something about it..."

I closed my eyes, tensing. Why couldn't he understand that he was just hurting me more? He was simply reminding me that the one person that meant more than anything to me was too far away for me to find

And she obviously wouldn't want to be found anymore.

"Ronin... What could I do? What I said to her... she would never forgive me, even if I tried to see her again..."

"Well I guess the question I'm asking is why have you forgiven _her?"_

This froze me in my tracks. Ronin did have a point. Hadn't MK been the one to turn on me anyways? This all should've been the other way around. I should've been hoping never to see her again, and still not feel far enough away from her.

I should've hated her.

But... I _couldn't._

Maybe it was because when I'd seen her with him, I'd let my first instincts run _way _ahead of my brain? Maybe it was because the way I'd chosen to end it between us was to completely crush her?

Maybe it was because I hadn't meant a word of what I'd said to her?

I couldn't hate her because no matter what happened to either of us, no matter what we did or said, I had promised to stay with her...

...And I had broken that promise...

Unable to stay where I was any longer, I turned on my heels and trudged off towards the small creek that flowed through here, and plopped down on the grassy bank. The crackle of the fire was inaudible here, and the sound of running water was quiet enough for me to think.

Which was probably the last thing I needed to be doing, because every time I let my mind wander, it would drift back to her once more...

I groaned, grabbed and rock and chucking it into the creek. It hit the flowing water with a splash, before settling back to the regular flow of river water. If I stayed completely still and really listened, I swore I could hear her laugh ringing along with the river...

Wait...

It wasn't MK, but I could hear _something._ It sounded like...

Bird wings...?

My eyes widened. The thugs who had tried taking her before. It _had _to be. Maybe they were finally retreating, or planning to meet up with this so-called 'employer' of theirs. I stood up slowly and began walking to the edge of the creek. In between the tree branches, I could see the shadowed form of a bird flying as fast as it could.

Right towards me.

"AAAHHHH!" I yelled, stumbling back as the bird suddenly burst from the brush and was yanked back, only centimeters away from hitting me. The rider let out a cry, before being jerked off the bird and tumbling into the river. It was then that I realized I recognized the blonde-hair figure that had just fallen into the water.

"... Jennora?" I muttered as I moved forward. As expected I saw the sick little girl picking herself up out of the mud, now soaked and filthy. She looked completely exhausted and terrified. When her eyes met mine, they widened, and she tried to rush towards me, shouting something to me in a rushed, blur of teary words.

"Nod! Ohmygoshweneedyourhelp! Willhollow'sintroubleandOrenhastakingover

andhe'sgoingto- Ahh!" She cried out as she slipped back into the water. I jumped towards her and picked her up before she could get even more soaked.

Suddenly she started sobbing, wrapping her arms around my neck. I stiffened, taken slightly by surprise. What on earth was she even _doing _here?! Last I had heard, the princess was sick in bed, the Willhollow sickness finally starting to get the better of her.

How had she managed to find a bird and fly through the forest at night no less, just to find us? And more importantly... Why? I had an extremely bad feeling growing in the pit of my stomach as I carried the sobbing, sickly girl back to the fire pit. Most of the men hadn't been woken by the unexpected visit, but Ronin was already rushing towards me, waking the men as he passed them.

"Nod, what going- Oh!" he stated as he saw the girl in my arms. I brought her over to one of the makeshift beds and lay her down. She sat up immediately and began speaking, but was cut off by her own coughing fit. Ronin gave her some water, which she guzzled within seconds, before turning back to me, and blurting out in a rush.

"N-Nod! You and the others have to come back to Willhollow as soon as possible! Mary Katherine needs you! Everyone's really scared and the whole tree is locked down and they took everyone away and I don't know where my brother is and-"

"Woah, woah!" Ronin said, trying to calm the over-excited child. "It's alright kid, everything's going to be fine

Jennora took deep breaths, and I blinked in response to this, a twinge of anger rising in me, masking the feeling of dread in my gut. What was this supposed to mean? So after everything that had happened between us, she suddenly wanted me to come back? Why?!

"What happened your highness?" I asked, and some instinct in the back of my mind told me I wasn't going to like what I heard. The princess looked up at me, tears welling up in her eyes, and I felt my heart speed up. Yes, _definitely _something bad.

"Nod... They're gonna kill her."

I froze, feeling the blood drain from my body. My mouth opened, and a thousand words tried to fight there way out, but I couldn't make a sound. I was frozen like a statue, rigid with fury and astonishment and complete confusion. I couldn't even process what the girl had just said.

Ronin got over the shock faster than I did, and asked. "What do you mean? MK?!"

Jennora nodded, her lips quivering. "Oren was the one in control of those bad guys that tried to take Mary Katherine. He turned against the entire kingdom. I don't know where Tarren is, or what's happening in the city. I had been locked in my room, but Isabelle helped me escape."

I suddenly yelled. "Where's MK? What did they do with her?!"

"They locked her in one of our higher-quality dungeons, where Oren kept especially awful criminals. I tried to break her out but she said there was no time, and that I needed to find you."

Then she looked right at me. "Nod, Mary Katherine said that Oren's going to drain her powers tomorrow evening, and that when he does, it's going to kill her. You guys _have _to get back to Willhollow before they do! Once Oren gets the Lady of Destiny's powers, he'll be strong enough to wipe out _everything."_

Ronin stayed and asked Jennora some other questions, but I had already jumped up and begun grabbing my saddle and latching it onto the bird.

"Nod, wait." Ronin said. "We can't just barge in there without any sort of plan? We need to think about this."

Feeling a lash of anger boiling in me, I turned around. "Ronin, they're going to _kill her! _Okay?! Forget planning, I'm leaving _now!" _And then I turned back to my bird, clenching my teeth to fight back the overpowering waves of hate and emotion that I felt inside. If she died...

"MK I never should've left you..." I muttered under my breath, before grabbing my bag and harshly shoving all my stuff into it. I could hear Ronin's blurry voice in the background but my brain wasn't processing it completely.

How could I have been such a _moron?! _How could I have even _**thought **_of trusting those idiots with _my _Mary Katherine?! I didn't care how much we may have fought, I was not prepared to let her... to let them...

I suddenly felt Ronin's hand on my shoulder, and whirled around. "Nod you need to calm down."

"We have to go _now!_" I yelled, and he grabbed me by the shoulder, causing me to freeze. "Not before you _get ahold of yourself!"_

My head dropped, eyes closing and breathing getting more ragged, possibly going into shock. "Ronin... If she doesn't... I-If they-"

"Nod, she's going to be fine, okay? Just get yourself together while I get the others ready. We'll leave as soon as possible."

After that, he rushed off towards the other Leafmen to tell them what was going on. They had all been woken by the commotion, but hadn't overheard, or at least hadn't caught on to what had happened.

Meanwhile I was working like a machine, and as soon as I was packed, I got on my bird to fly back to Willhollow. Like hell I was going to sit there and wait for the other slowpokes to load up their gear. For all I knew, they could be hurting her right now, or worse...

"Nod wait!" I suddenly heard Ronin shout, rushing towards me. He slowed when he saw the expression on my face.

"Make sure Jenni's taken care of." I said, a hollow tone in my voice. "Meet me back at Willhollow when you're ready. I'm going to go find MK."

"Nod you can't just rush in there by yourself! What happened to the whole teamwork thing?!"

I sighed. "Ronin I get it okay? Taking off alone is stupid... but this is MK, okay? I'll already let her go once, and I'm _not _going to see her die because of that..."

Ronin stared for a moment, before sighing himself. "... Okay. Just... _Please _don't do anything stupid."

Rather than make some snide or sarcastic remark, I simply nodded. This obviously wasn't joking time. Despite disliking Willhollow, they were an extremely fortified city with heavy defenses. For that traitor Oren to be able to take it over, he obviously had a lot of manpower on his side. This wasn't going to be some walk in the park...

And MK was caught right in the middle of it...

"I'll be fine Ronin... Make sure the princess is safe. I'll try and find Tarren or whoever else I can." And with that, I took off.

Despite everything that had happened, I couldn't suppress the growing feeling of fury towards myself. How could I have just _left _her there?! How could I have said I wished I'd never met her?

I never would've been able to survive without the redheaded stomper girl. I couldn't believe I'd tried to convince myself of that. Convince myself that I could just go home and forget back her...

How could I ever forget her? How could I forget the way she'd always get flustered around crowds, or how she'd blush whenever I complimented her. How much she'd rant when she was mad, before hugging me to get some comfort. How could I forget her laugh, or smile, or kiss, or _anything?_

How could I have forgotten her?

"Wait Nod!" I suddenly heard Jenni's weak voice cry out, and saw the frail girl running towards me. What did she want now? I didn't have spare time!

"What is it?" I said, slightly too sharp, as she reached me.

"I want to come with you. I can help you find MK!"

I sighed, exasperated. "Look your highness I know you want to help but-"

"Nod." She whispered, watery eyes staring back at my surprised ones. "I want to find Tarren too. I have to make sure he's okay..."

I starred for a long time, before finally giving up. "Alright, hop on. We need to go now."

Smiling, the little girl climbed on the back, and we took off after Willhollow, to get back the people we both cared most about...

It was ironic. There had been a time before this, when I thought I'd have had Mary Katherine forever, and now I wasn't even sure whether she was still alive...

NO! I would've known if she were gone. Some part of my brain, or heart would've just _known... _

No... She wasn't gone yet. She was still there.

And I was going to save her.

* * *

**YAAAAAY NOD TO THE RESCUE! So am I kinda forgiven for putting you guys through such hell? XD but think about it, now you're all that much happier about Nod coming back! **

**It's like a sports game, if it were just a landslide win with no action, the audience would get bored. I'm just keeping things interesting! And it will continue to get interesting, **_**especially **_**in the next chapter.**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	32. Running Out of Time

**Okay does it **_**not **_**feel like Christmas Eve to anyone else out there? 'Cause it really doesn't to me. Whatever. I **_**do **_**have a Christmas present for you guys though!**

**I originally wrote chapter 32 and 33 as one chapter, but because it was too long, I separated it into two. However, because they go together so much and Chapter 33 ends with yet **_**another **_**plot twist (which you guys know I love though I'm not too good at them), I think I'm gonna post both chapter today.**

**So yeah, MERRY CHRISTMAS XD**

* * *

**Chapter 32:**

**Running Out of Time**

_(Nod's POV)_

I soared through the woods faster than I'd ever flown before. I couldn't even comprehend how my bird was mustering the energy for the speed. Maybe it could feel the pressure in the air, the sense that something was horribly wrong?

I heard the princess whimper slightly, curling up against my chest much like MK would sometimes. It hit me like a wave of pain, but I shook it off. "Hey, try and hang in there your highness. We're gonna be there before you know it."

The blonde girl's silvery eyes fluttered open. "Nod, why did you leave Mary Katherine?"

I stiffened slightly and sighed. I felt like the answer should've been something bitter; She had left me behind first, or your brother had taken her from me, but I couldn't seem to feel the proper emotions. Probably because her life was at risk right now. Still, the little girl was waiting for an answer.

"... Because she didn't..." Another sigh. "... She didn't want me anymore..."

The air went silent, save for the flittering of the hummingbird's speedy wings. I kept praying that they could find the will to go even faster. I had this awful feeling that there was little to no time left. That I was on the brink of being too late...

"Well do you still want her?" Jenni finally asked. I grunted, getting slightly irritated at the girl's questioning. It was bringing back emotions that I _really _didn't need to resurface right now.

"Ugh!" I shouted, slightly startling the young girl. "Yes okay?! I want her back more than I can even handle! But..." And then I lost my voice. But what? But I had completely broken her heart so she would stay in Willhollow? But I thought she would be better off there?

Because I thought I'd be able to survive a single day without Mary Katherine, the stomper girl? The girl that I was completely in love with, and had never wanted to lose, until I decided that letting her go was what was best for everyone?

Except me?

"She said no." The princess's voice rang out, derailing my train of thought slightly. I blinked twice, and looked down at Jenni's steadfast gaze. "What do you mean?" I asked, slightly baffled, though I had a dwindling hope of what she might have meant.

Jennora gave a gentle half-smile. "Mary Katherine said no to Tarren, right at the altar. I overheard heard Isabelle tell Tanya, when I was sneaking away to try and free MK. She doesn't want to stay with us Nod. She wants _you."_

I turned and face fully forward again, unable to think straight enough to reply. She... she had left Tarren? How could she not hate me now?! After everything I'd said...

My head dropped, teeth clenched, trying to fight back the wave of emotion rising, forming a tight lump in my throat, and making my eyes sting. What had I ever done to deserve her? How could I have been such a fool to leave her like that?! To trust those stuck up idiots with _my _MK!

"Nod?" Jenni whispered, looking up with a look of concern. I swallowed the lump in my throat, and did my best to smile. "Oh umm sorry... I'm fine."

The princess smiled, though it appeared weak on her pale face. I needed to find her some help as soon as we got to Willhollow...

I needed to find her brother...

"I don't know why Willhollow and Moonhaven fight so much." Jenni suddenly added. "I mean... even after we're so mean to you, you're still coming to help us..." Then she leaned against me tiredly. "We shouldn't fight anymore..." And then she closed her eyes and drifted asleep

I sighed, closing my own eyes. If only this little girl had heard all the horrible things I'd thought of this place, and these people. She'd treat me the way that every other resident of Willhollow had ever treated us...

Jenni was different though, and as I'd been here, I'd encountered others that wished our stupid fight would end, who just wanted to make amends...

Maybe it was time to forgive these people? After all... it seemed pretty ridiculous to blame an entire kingdom just because one ruler had left us to die years ago...

I took a deep breath to clear my head. That was _not_ the issue right now. What I needed to worry about was getting to Willhollow before the princess took a turn for the worst, or Oren decided to finish off Mary Katherine.

"I _promise _MK." I whispered, so not to wake the princess. "I'm not going to let him hurt you..."

And this time, it was a promise I was _not _going to break.

(Later)

Even before I entered the city, I would've known something was wrong, simply because of the inert silence. The sun had started setting in the west leaving the land dark, but the sky still a dim blue.

Willhollow, which usually would've been illuminated with golden light, stood as a dark form blending with the creeping shadows of the forest.

I began slowing, and looked for any sign of life. The air, which was usually filled with the sound of busy, flitting wings and loud voices, was fairly silent. The few lights lit were small torches, mainly up in the castle. That was where MK had to be.

"Wait." I felt Jenni's hand on my shoulder. "Go for the bottom of the city. Don't try and enter the castle from the top."

I raised an eyebrow. "But that's where MK and your brother are! Don't you want get them?"

Jenni rolled her eyes. "Of _course _I do, but there's bound to be way more security up there where the two are being held. The best thing we can do is try to sneak in quietly, and find out what we're dealing with before the fighting starts."

I surprisingly laughed at this. "You sound like you'll be joining in this fighting." But then grew serious once more. "You're right though. Show me the best way to get in."

We silently swooped down to the same entrances where the other Leafmen and I had been working just a week ago. That seemed like forever ago now... After landing the bird and tying her up, we crept towards the entryway and peered inside.

The entire city was still, save for a few soldiers with torches sauntering past the houses, whose doors were locked and curtains drawn shut. Everyone must've been completely terrified into staying hidden indoors. I didn't blame them. A complete takeover from their very own army captain could mean catastrophic things for the future of Willhollow.

While I was starring up at the soldiers, trying to figure how we'd get past them, Jenni suddenly bolted for the far wall of the tree. I jumped after her.

"Jenni what are you doing?" I whisper-shouted after her, but she didn't reply or even turn around. Finally she reached the wall, and began feeling her hands all over the bark-covered wood, as if searching for something.

"A couple year's ago," The princess began, still searching. "Tarren showed me the location of several secret weapon's vaults, to be used only in a dire emergency. They were unknown to everyone except the royal family, so that if anything happened, we'd be able to find the supplies to defend ourselves."

Finally, she found a place on the wood, a small knot the shape of a diamond, and turned it twice. The wood shuddered with the sound of whirring gears and other things, and suddenly the wall slid open, revealing a closet completely stocked with weapons. Jenni smiled, and began looking through the weapons.

"Wow... How many of these are there?" I asked, taken back by the luck of having access to this thing.

"There are two or three down here, two in the walls of the city, and way more in the castle. Tarren said mother had them installed and stocked soon after my father died. I think...I think she was expecting something like this..."

This made me wonder for a moment. Had she suspected that Oren, or someone else in the kingdom, was plotting against them? Maybe she had thought her suspect had killed her husband, and was going after the rest of them?

I shook the thoughts from my head. This was not the time for speculating. We could get the whole truth out of Oren after I finished beating the crap out of him for touching MK...

"Ah!" The princess cried out with a triumphant little hop, as she pulled down a miniature crossbow with dark purple thorn-darts. "This is what I wanted."

"What is it?" I asked the little girl as she began loading the darts into the bow.

"They're Hemlock thorns. The sap in the darts will paralyze and knock out the victim for quite a while, without killing. Tarren taught me how to use them when he showed me the vaults."

I couldn't help but be slightly impressed with the girl. Despite being a princess, and even despite being sick, she was still determined to tough it all out to save her brother, and her kingdom. She'd even tried to free MK.

"You know... you're a lot braver than I would've taken you for. It makes me think maybe, with people like you in Willhollow, we _don't _have to keep this silly fight afloat."

The princess looked down, and blushed I believed, though I couldn't be certain with the ever-increasing darkness. We were running out of time...

Nodding my head, I jumped up and began mounting the stairs, Jenni following, unable to fly due to being sick. We slowly crept up on each soldier, and when they landed upon the path, we knocked them out and moved on. We didn't see a single villager.

Before I knew it, we had reached the top of the city, and crept into the castle grounds. There were more guards here, but Jenni led me past them, through a path to the side of the castle, and we ended up near the stairs that led up to the Queen's garden. I tried not to look at them too much...

"C'mon!" Jenni said, her voice sounding hoarse and weak, and pulled the brush back from a pair of cellar doors. Kneeling down, she knocked on the door in a particular pattern, and someone on the other side knocked back, before the door creaked open.

"Oh my goodness!" A man's voice shouted. "Your highness!"

The doors swung open, and the manservant on the other side, quickly coaxed us in, looking back twice in case anyone else was there, and sealed the doors once more.

Inside the cellar were dozens of servants, huddled up with blankets round small fires and lit lanterns. They all looked both surprise and relieved at seeing the princess returned, and jumped up to greet her.

Miss Isabelle pushed past the crowd, a young strawberry blond trailing behind her. She matched up to MK's description of Tanya, the maid whom Mary Katherine had told me she had become friends with while here.

"Good heavens!" the girl in question cried, wrapping her arms around Jenni, who looked almost on the verge of collapsing now. "I thought you had been taken or killed out there!"

They led Jenni to the only cot in the cellar, which instantly became unoccupied for the princess, and lay her down.

"What on earth were you thinking?!" Isabelle cried intolerantly, causing me to glare at her. The poor thing had just hacked through the forest to find help, and the woman was yelling at her for it!

"I'm sorry..." Jenni apologized, her voice sounding far off and sickly. "I went to help MK, but she told me to find the Leafmen. I went with Nod, and the others are coming to save us..." She trailed off, closing her eyes tiredly. Tanya stroked her cheek.

"Shhhh it's okay darling. Just rest now. You did a _very_ good job..."

Jenni smiled sleepily, before growing serious. "Nod, they're keeping MK, and a couple other prisoners I think, in a lower dungeon at the garden behind the castle. I made an opening in the wall of MK's cell. Oh, and there's another weapon's fault here, behind the kegs across from the door."

I went over the information in my head before thanking the princess. She smiled, and fell to sleep.

"Alright," I said loud enough to get everyone's attention. "I need someone to fill me in on what's been going on."

Isabelle stepped forward. "We've only been able to get so much information, but what we do know is that Oren had got the entire kingdom on lockdown. Anyone who has tried to flee has been killed, and most of the servants were locked inside their homes with the rest of the villagers."

"We were able to hide in the cellar, and evade the soldiers," Tanya spoke up. "But it won't be long before they find us. We sent out spies of our own, several of which never returned..." She then lowered her head sadly. I sighed. This entire situation seemed hopeless

"Those who did come back however," Isabelle continued. "Were able to get quite a bit of information. We've learned that Oren is planning to gather many of the citizens in the same arena where the prince's wedding was to occur, and drain Lady Mary Katherine of her power at midnight, when the moon was at it's peak."

I began pacing, going over this in my mind. "That only gives us like a hour to get her out of there, and it's not like we have the resources to take on an entire army!" I thought aloud, running my hand through my hair. What on earth was I going to do? Charge in to the rescue the way I usually did things?

Tanya cleared her throat. "If I may sir, we may not have the resources to take on an army... but I believe I know where we can find our own."

I looked up at her, my eyebrow furrowing.

She continued. "I had ventured out myself to see if I could find a way to get us all out a while ago, and I saw Oren's soldiers taking some of our own down to the main brig. I believe that's where they're keeping our army, as well as Prince Tarren."

I thought about this. "Yes, that might work... Alright!" I said, gathering everyone's attention once more. "Now's the time for us to fight back!"

After saying this, I rushed over to the storage kegs Jenni had mentioned, and pushed them away. Finding the diamond shaped knob and turning it twice like she had, I was able to open the vault. The people starred in amazement, some even cheering.

I turned back to the people. "Alright, this is the plan. Tanya, either you can tell the men how to get in and free the soldiers, or you can go yourself."

Tanya smiled. "I'd like to go if you don't mind sir. Need to make sure the job gets done right."

I half-smiled before continuing. "Okay, any men who are here, I need you to stock up on weapons, and go free those soldiers. Isabelle, you stay here and wait for the signal, and the soldiers will come and try and smuggle you guys out of here."

"Well where are you running off to?" Isabelle questioned stubbornly, though I knew she already had the answer.

"I'm going to find MK. If Oren gets her powers, there won't be any stopping him."

"Nod," The head maid cut in. "You can't just rush out and take him on alone. You're going to need the help of the others to take on Oren and his army... You're going to need Prince Tarren's help."

I scoffed at the mistress's statement. "I don't need _his _help! He's the one who let his own Captain take over his kingdom anyways! I can do this by my-"

"Boy, that's a lie and you know it!" Isabelle shouted, surprising me, before calmly adding. " You know the prophecy. 'The Lady of Destiny, and the Prince of Willhollow shall join together to save the kingdom in times of dire peril.' That was the prediction..."

I let out a huff of surprise. "But... That has nothing to do with this! That has to do with MK marrying fairy boy-er I mean Tarren."

Tanya suddenly cut in by shaking her head. "No, _that _was part of the letter Oren gave to Tarren, which we can now assume was just a ploy to bring the Lady of Destiny, and all her powers, to Willhollow. The _original _prophecy, the one that we've all heard in story books, is simply that the Lady would come and save Willhollow, with its prince."

I staged slightly, my train of thought swerving in a completely different direction. So if these two were correct... then MK had never even needed to marry Tarren? This entire thing had simply been so Oren could get his slimy little paws on _my _Mary Katherine and her powers?!

I grit my teeth, closing my eyes "...I'm gonna kill him. I'm going to _kill _him..."

Isabelle groaned exasperatedly. "Boy, don't you see?! That's why you need the Prince! It's not your destiny to kill Oren. It's his."

I looked up at the lady, and notice a sadness come into her eyes, as though she knew the truth of the matter, but deeply wished it weren't so. It confused me slightly, but was hardly the problem at the moment. She was right...

Finally, after a few moments of deafening silence, I sighed in defeat.

"Fine. I'll go to release the prince, and _then _go save MK."

Even as I said the words, they felt wrong in my mouth. MK was supposed to be my first priority wasn't she?!

The people were right though. As much as I wanted to be the hero, I couldn't do this alone...

"Alright." I said when no one made a move. "So what's the plan?"

* * *

**So yeah the next chapter will have much more of a climatic ending (though... Not an exactly cheerful one "-_-)**

**I'm sorry I know I've been really brutal but that's because there's gonna be a really great ending.**

**Also, I don't say this enough, but you people are absolutely amazing! Like seriously the reviews and feedback and response I've gotten for this story is **_**so **_**much greater than I thought I'd get, and I want to thank you for being such loyal readers and **_**reviewers **_**good lord! I seriously love you guys, so yeah ^_^**

**So yeah, keep it up, you're awesome, and I'll have the next chapter up sometime today.**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	33. Won't Be Long Now

**So because I'm still an eight year old at heart, there's no **_**way **_**I'm going to sleep tonight. SO yeah, time for Polar Express and Tangled all night ^^**

**I don't know if I'll be able to update tomorrow because it's Christmas, but I should be able to fit in a chapter before bed. And I have a Christmas surprise too! (Though it might not be anything to look forward to for a while. Still, it's good news!)**

**So Merry Christmas, and here's chapter 33. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 33:**

**Won't Be Long Now**

_(Nod's POV)_

We crept slowly out of the secret entryway between the cellar and the inside of the castle. It was simply a lever tucked behind a tapestry. I was surprised they hadn't found the place yet. Then again, they'd probably been more concerned about the Willhollow army than a few measly servants.

Little did they know those measly servants were coming back with a punch.

Tanya motioned with her hand. "C'mon, the entrance in is this way."

The other men and I followed her down the hall, and through a couple turns, until we got to a corridor separate from the castle. That led to a deep stairwell. It was nearly pitch black inside, and seemed almost endless, until we reached the bottom, where a single torch was lit.

The dungeon below seemed to have twists and turns at every end, like a maze one could way too easily get lost in. lucky for us, I could hear laughing voices nearby.

"Tanya, you might want to stay by the entrance. If we run into any trouble down here, it could get pretty ugly."

Tanya, who had already seemed a bit hesitant, jumped at this idea. "Yes, I'll just stay here and warn you if anyone comes down..."

I smiled, and led the guys down the hall, seeking out the voices. Surprisingly enough, I couldn't see any of Oren's goons down here, which made me relieved, suspicious, and worried all at the same time. On one hand, it made getting Tarren and the other soldiers much easier, but it could also mean they knew we were down here, and were planning a surprise attack.

There was also the possibility that it was necessary for them to be present at the ceremony, and that we were already too late...

No! It was fine. We were going to get out of here with the rest of the soldiers, and we were going to rescue MK.

With a newly set determination, I sped up slightly, turning corners here and there, listening carefully for the sound of voices. After venturing a bit farther, I stopped and peeked around a corner.

There were two soldiers, standing before one of the cells, which appeared slightly bigger than the rest, and they were laughing and mocking the person inside. It couldn't have been any more obvious.

Tarren.

"Well your highness," One of them laughed. "Won't be long now. As soon as Oren saps the power out of that Moonhaven brat, we'll be able to dictate over all of Willhollow!"

"Yeah," agreed the other one, sounding pretty lacking in brains. "And once we've gotten a hold of this place, we'll move from city to city. With the power of the Lady of Destiny, we'll be able to control the entire forest!"

The two began laughing again. "Oh, and maybe if the bitch survives getting her life drained away from her, Lord Oren will let us have her as a play toy?"

I tense, having to hold myself back from rushing forward and hitting the guy in the face. How _dare _he talk about her that way?! Tarren must've felt the same because I heard the jostling of chains, and his grunts as he fought against his restraint. This only made the men laugh harder.

"Oh no, struck a nerve did we little prince?"

The chains jingled again. "If you even _think _of touching her, you're all going to lose an arm..."

This started up the soldier's laughter again. "Right, like you have _any _power here!"

After another laughing fit, the men wiped their tears away and spoke. "Well, we just came to pick you up. Immediately proceeding the draining of the Lady of Destiny's power, Oren wishes to preform a public execution of the former Prince of Willhollow, before the whole city. It'll be marvelous!"

Then, as the men began to unlock the cage and enter, I jumped from my spot behind the wall and fired an arrow right into the back of the minion bringing up the rear. I then rushed towards the other one right as he turned, slashing him across the chest. Geez, if all the soldiers were as easy to beat as these two, I'd be out of here with MK in no time.

Tarren, who'd simply watched in shock as I'd taken down his two captors, now starred at me as if I weren't real. I rolled my eyes, and took my sword down upon the chains, breaking them quite easily.

"N-Nod!" Tarren said, jumping up "How did you...? Why did you come back?! I thought you'd be halfway to Moonhaven by now."

I scoffed. "I came back because your sister happens to be one of the toughest girls I've ever met."

To this Tarren blinked incredulously, and I explained. "Jennora escaped the castle, and flew out to find us. We were stopped at Silver Creek, and she was able to catch up to us and warn me about what was going on."

I had planned on punching the guy flat in the face when I saw him again, for letting these people get a hold of MK, but he was in such awful shape that I restrained myself to grabbing him by the front of the shirt.

"I should _never _have left Mary Katherine with you people..."

Rather than struggle, Tarren sighed. "I'm sorry Nod. I know it was horrible, but we were completely taken by surprise, and their numbers outweighed our own at the time!"

I scoffed. "Yeah well you're just lucky the others are on their way to get you out of this mess. Now c'mon, we need to go get MK out of this place before Oren tries to hurt her."

Tarren nodded in agreement, and we proceeded to free the rest of the soldiers down here, though there were much fewer than I'd have hoped. They were probably keeping them scattered in case one escaped and tried to free them all, kind of like what we were doing.

After freeing those who were there, we rushed down the halls, trying to remember the way out. Tarren seemed to know it fairly well, and we reached the exit quickly.

What we found there stopped us up short.

Tanya stood there in the middle of the aisle, right before the stairway, staring at the ground. I stepped back, getting a bad feeling, but Tarren walked forward, looking concerned.

"Tanya, what's the matter?" He asked, holding out his hand. She turned her head away, and to the surprise of all the men there, she began chuckling softly. Tarren then chose to step back, feeling the same gut feeling that I had.

The strawberry blonde, freckled-cheeked girl finally looked up at us. "I'm sorry your highness, and Nod. I truly am. Honestly, it's nothing personal."

Suddenly, a shadow began descending the stairs, and Oren appeared at the girl's side, smiling slightly.

"Well done darling. You've got them all rounded up and everything."

"You were _late,_" Tanya spat, her voice having lost all sense of kindness. "Any longer than they'd have just _strolled_ right out."

"Oh please, they wouldn't have gotten anywhere." Oren retorted, before calling past our group of people. "Alright boys take 'em and bag 'em!"

Before any of us knew what was happening, Oren's black-clad thugs sprang from hidden hallways and attacked, overtaking us in seconds. I suddenly found myself with my arms pinned behind my back, knees on the ground. I tugged and pulled against the man's grip but he had me tightly bound, and he was much bigger than me.

I heard Oren's extremely amused cackle. "Well look who it is. The little Moonhaven punk who just had to fall in love with my prize. It's a shame really. I would've much preferred to have had your little girlfriend here when I killed you..."

He said this as he drew a knife form his belt and raised it to drive into me, but stopped suddenly, as if some idea stayed his hand.

"Actually, it would be quite a bit more fun to make_ you_ watch as I kill the girl. Then I can finish you off with her own powers! Oh I'm just awful aren't I!" He said, jumping like a little girl who just thought of a good idea. Disgusted with the poor excuse of a man before me, I lunged forward, but was held back by Oren's minion still restraining me.

"I swear if you lay a _hand _on her, I'm going to-"

"What boy?" Oren challenged, all signs of humor suddenly vanishing from his face. "What will you do? It doesn't appear like you're capable of much at the moment, besides begging for mercy... But you're too stubborn for that aren't you Leafmen."

I glared at the man as harshly as I could. He just smiled spitefully, and turned to Tanya. "Make sure they're present for the ceremony. I want to make sure this boy doesn't miss a second."

Tanya bowed her head. "As you wish Lord Oren."

Then, just like that, the men were dragging us up the stairs to the place where MK was about to be killed, and I was praying. Praying for the miracle I knew was impossible to find.

_Please let me stop him._

_Please let me save her..._

* * *

**Well I wonder if you guys saw **_**that **_**coming. No, I seriously had a heart attack when I thought of the idea of making Tanya a double agent. I was like "*GASP* **_**NOOOOOOOO!" **_**Because it was just too evil, but hey I love being evil! **

**But that's what i mean by the fact that I'm 'discovering' the story same as you. I was actually in shock for a while over the plot twist like i couldn't handle how evil it was, and I**

**SO yeah, next chapters get pretty crazy, but isn't that always the case? -_- Whatever it will get better... eventually (again, **_**always **_**the case, huh?)**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	34. Weak

**Wow I almost thought I wasn't gonna be able to update today because i couldn't get onto my fan fiction account! Some 503 service error -_- whatever I'm here now!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! Joy to the world and all that junk. UGH I got **_**so **_**carsick on the way home from my grandparents; I'm surprised I'm even conscious enough to **_**update **_**right now. You guys better be grateful...**

**XDD or maybe not _considering t_his chapter is going to be a little graphic and disturbing. Like violence/blood graphic. Just bear with me. XD a lovely kind of chapter to land on for Christmas, isn't it? Blood and gore hehe **

**Anyways, Chapter 34. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 34:**

**Weak**

_(MK's POV)_

_Yaaawwn_

_Geez I'm groggy... Did I fall asleep by accident?_

_Wait... Why is it so cold in here?_

I slowly cracked my eyes open. The cell was lighter than it had been earlier, but still... somehow darker as well. The grey light filtering in felt cold and hard... and there was a creeping sense of unsettlement around me.

I sat up, feeling stiff and sluggish, and looked towards the bars of the cage. To my surprise, the door was left wide open. I starred in disbelieving shock. Something weird was _definitely_ going on if the door to their post prized prisoner's cell was left completely ajar. Still I wasn't waiting around for them to correct their mistake.

I jumped up and rushed out, running towards Queen Rheina's cell to free her, as well as the priest if I could, but I found them both to be empty. Even stranger, the entire floor was the dungeon creeped with a strange fog, like the machines they had at concerts sometimes.

Suddenly feeling very uneasy, I began stepping back, when I suddenly heard a loud clatter from father down the hallway, which faded into darkness. Feeling my heart-rate blast to several times the regular speed, I suddenly bolted for the spiral staircase leading me out of the dank pit I had been locked. Upon reaching the top, and still finding no one, I sprinted down the hallway to the large doors Oren had dragged me through before, and burst through them.

The scene before me was worse than anything I could've found in the dungeon.

The entire area had been completely pulverized, and burned. Chairs and curtains still blazed slightly, and the ground was covered in ash and crumbling debris. All of this however, paled in comparison to what was scattered across everything.

Bodies. Hundreds of bodies.

They were everywhere, draped across chairs and tables and on stairways. Some were charred to a coal black, some soaked in blood, some missing limbs, and all _very _much dead...

I screamed. I screamed and fell back against a cracked pillar that was still slightly in tact.

This... This was my fault! If I had been stronger, if I hadn't allowed that beast and his soldiers to take over this place, these people might have lived...

Sobbing, I slowly moved forward, stepping past corpses left and right. I needed to get out of here and find out if anyone else had survived. I had gotten halfway back down the aisle that I'd walked down just days ago, when suddenly...

"It's too late...You can't save anyone now..."

I spun 180 degrees around, the voice sending icy chills down my back. There, on the stage, was Tarren, tied up and hanging on the back wall from ropes around his arms. He was dripping blood in a puddle below him. My hands shot to cover my mouth in absolute horror, and I began running towards the stage to get Tarren down.

"S-stay... away from m-me!" The bloodied prince choked out, a small trail of blood seeping from his mouth, and I stopped up short.

"Tarren... What do you...? No I have to help you-"

"_YOU DID THIS!"_ Tarren suddenly bellowed, blood spatting from his red-stained lips. I flinched, taking a step back. "T-Tarren...?"

"YOU GAVE OREN THE POWER TO DO THIS! YOU WERE TOO WEAK TO STOP HIM!" He screamed! And suddenly, the bodies of the dead fairies, the people who had depended on me to protect them, began rising like zombies, and all glaring at me. I began staggering back, on the verge of hyperventilation.

"No...! No_ stay away from me!"'_

"_YOU DEVESERVE TO __**PAY**__ FOR YOUR WEAKNESS MARY KATHERINE!" _Tarren now screamed, though his voice sounded morphed and distorted, almost demonic in some sense.

I tripped as I moved away from the army of dead fairies, now sauntering towards me with expression of death and complete loathing towards me. I watched as Tarren fell from his bondage on the wall, and rushed forward as well. I starred in horror as the bloody, blonde prince's body began morphing into the form of the general who had laid this place to ruin.

Scared out of my wits now, I turned around and began sprinting towards the gateway. I looked over my shoulder once to see how close the mob was, and collided with another person. Falling to the ground, I groaned, before looking up.

Before me, stood a hollow-eyes Nod, pale as moonlight, starring down at me with an emotionless expression. Wait... that wasn't true. There was a soft hint of...

Betrayal.

"Nod!" I shouted, my voice cracking. He simply continued staring as a single tear slid down his cheek.

"Is this why you called us back here? So you could watch me die?"

Tears poured down my face, but for some reason I couldn't move. I wanted to reach up to him, take his hand, hug him, kiss him, tell him I was sorry, but I couldn't move a thing. "Nod...N-no!"

"I aught to thank you. At least now I won't have to return home, knowing the only girl I ever loved had left me for someone else. Instead, you could just put me out of my misery yourself."

Then he tossed a knife at my feet. "Go ahead. Do it."

I starred at the knife, and then up at him, completely shocked and horrified.

"...N-no. No, I won't do that! You _know _I could never do that!" I screamed, shaking my head and causing my tears to fly off my cheeks. He couldn't be _serious!_

Nod let out a soft breath, and closed his eyes, causing one more tear to slide down his cheek. "Goodbye Mary Katherine..."

Then suddenly, I watch, frozen in horror as a silver blade shot through the Leafman's torso, and slid right back out, and I still couldn't move as he collapsed to the ground beside me.

I felt as thought the outside world had frozen. There was only he and I for a moment, and I also felt as if I were seeing the entire scene from outside myself. I threw myself over his bleeding form.

It took a moment to realize that the unfocused background noise I heard was actually screaming, and even longer to realize that it was me, screaming his name at the top of my lungs as I shielded my leafman from the oncoming army.

I cradled Nod's head to my chest, my tears falling onto his cheeks the way they did in movies, where they'd magically make the dying hero awake. I prayed and prayed that maybe, by miracle, mine would have the same effect.

Suddenly, the clawing arms of the zombified fairy folk ripped the boy from my arms, and dragged his corpse into the darkness. I screamed, trying desperately to reach for him, but the same arms that had taken him away were now clawing at me, yanking me this away and that, tearing into my clothes and flesh.

I wasn't thinking about them though. I was thinking about the fact that they had just dragged Nod away to who-known-where to tear apart his body limb from limb.

"NO NOD! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Then I felt them throw me to the ground and start viciously tearing at me.

"_**NO STOP IT! GET AWAY FROM ME NO, NO, NO!"**_

"NO!" I screamed, jumping up wit a start.

"Milady!" the priest shouted from across the hallway, and I jumped, teary eyes wide. He was still here. The queen as well. They both looked extremely alarmed, but it was the last thing on my mind. My lip quivering slightly, I suddenly pulled my knees to my chest and cried harshly into them.

"Oh darling..." The queen said with that motherly ring of concern in her voice, but it didn't comfort me now.

"They're all going to die!" I sobbed, gripping the torn, soiled fabric of my once-lovely wedding dress. "Oren's going to kill everyone, a-and when Nod comes back..." And I was once again lost in my sea of tears. How could I have been so foolish?! To bring him back here would be a suicide mission once Oren attained my powers.

Knowing Nod though, he wouldn't care. He's run right in here, right at the front lines like the invincible hero he thought he was. He'd be overly reckless and probably get hurt or... worse in the process. All for someone as worthless as me...

I had been so lost in my crying fit that I hadn't heard the heavy footsteps trudging down the staircase, nor realized how late it had actually gotten. When my cage doors were unlocked, and a pair of soldiers waltzed in with sly grins on their face, and I realized why they were here.

It was time. I was now to be led out like an animal and slaughtered. I wasn't sure exactly how Oren was to proceed when extracting my powers, but he made it clear I would likely not survive...

"Alright your highness, it's about time to bring ya up. Lord Oren can hardly wait to finish you off." He said, with a sly _chuckle,_ before yanking me up off the ground, taking a thick rope and binding my hands behind my back, and leading me out of the cell and down the hall to the stairs.

I took one last, desperate glance at Queen Rheina and Aaron. Both prisoners looked completely heart-broken, and the queen's eyes were wet with tears. I didn't blame her for crying. I had been her last hope to save her beloved kingdom, and now I was about to be served up on a silver platter.

"You were right..." I whispered to the demons that had resided in my dreams, my hushed voice lost in the wind and silent tears still spilling over.

"You were right... I am weak."

* * *

**... M-Merry Christmas everyone TT_TT **

**I'm not sure whether to laugh hysterically or cry hysterically over the fact that **_**this **_**was the chapter I was posting on the day of Christ's birth. Like... seriously if that isn't sick irony then I don't know what is -_-...**

**But hey at least in the next chapter Nod finally gets to see MK (Under very grim, possibly fatal circumstances... T – T I'm a monster... Whatever next chapter will be up tomorrow! Or maybe tonight if i feel like torturing you guys some more...)**

**...Oh i almost forgot your guys' christmas surprise!**

***Drumroll*...**

**I have officially started working on my Frozen Story! I haven't gotten the entire plot thought through so it's gonna take a while (I'm talking like a several months long ****while) before I actually get to _posting _it considering I only start posting stories once I've finished writing them, but just so you know, it's going to happen eventually, and I think I'm going to do a good job! At least i hope so XD**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	35. This Is Not The End

_***PLEASE READ: IMPORTANT NOTICE!***_

**So one of my lovely and vigilant readers pointed out the "chapter 35 update" _wasn't there_. I just wanted to clear that up. Basically i deleted the "Author's Hiatus Note" chapter so people wouldn't be confused. So chapter _35_ is NOW chapter _34_, the way it's supposed be, and everything makes sense!**

**Now i want to explain what went down last night.**

**So I know that last night's chapter was short, and I was going to have a double post for Christmas, until I proofread the chapter for today. Trust me... you wouldn't have wanted to end on this, **_**especially **_**on Christmas. No one needed this kind of pain on a holiday...**

**So to make up for it, I'm gonna do a double update today. Hope you can forgive me and**** REMEMBER ****that it will be okay...**

**Chapter 35. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 35:**

**This Is Not The End**

_(MK's POV)_

They began leading me down the hallway, passing window by window. The outside world was clear as could be, but looked dark, and colder than usual, despite the summer season. Still, I couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief when I entered the stadium and _didn't _find dead bodies strew all over the place...

"Well!" I heard Oren shout, clapping his hands together as he entered the stadium double doors. "If it isn't the star of the evening. Lovely out isn't it?" He then gestured to the full moon that glowed above us. It reminded me of the night that the Moonhaven pod had bloomed.

"Yes..." I whispered, "Lovely..."

Oren's sick smile widened, and he placed his fingers beneath my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his. " I hoped you'd think so. It is _your _ceremony after all. The last thing we'd want was for you to be feeling gloomy."

Then, he flicked his fingers away, and turned towards the people who were being forced to shuffle into chairs in the stadium seating. "Well then people!" He began. "I'd say it's about time to begin this thing!"

The crowd's petrified murmurs could be heard through the stadium, but no one dared defy the enemy soldiers nearby with their weapons ready to shoot down any rowdy viewers.

Oren's gruesome smirk stretched, and I fought back the urge to cringe away. No matter what, I was not going to give in to fear. If I was going to go, I was going with my head held high...

Oren's laugh broke me out of my revere. "Ah I love it when the scared little rabbit tries to act like a lion. You're wasting your strength darling..." And he yanked me up to the stage, but turned his head slightly towards me and muttered. "Just like your little Leafman friend did."

I froze, causing Oren to cackle rather manically. "What was his name again? Nod? Yes, I found him with a little band of armed servants, trying to break the little prince out of jail like big shots. Don't worry though darling, I took good care of him."

I jerked against his grip, gritting my teeth. "What did you _do_ to him?"

Oren laughed. "Oh nothing yet. Once I have your powers though, I'll be able to take care of him myself."

I jerked towards the man who was threatening Nod, fury bubbling up inside me. I could feel the bonds of Oren's energy-block weakening, and I prayed that I could free my powers before Oren drained me of them, or tried laying a single finger on my leafman.

"Oh and do you want to know the best part of the entire thing?" Oren whispered slyly, causing my anger to be replaced my suspicion. What was he getting at?

Oren laughed. "Why don't I introduce the person who delivered your little boyfriend to me?" Then he turned to the open doors leading to the hallway.

"Come join us Tanya."

My eyes widened... No. No he was just trying to mess with me. I denied the idea in every way possible until I saw the strawberry blonde girl enter the room wearing a lovely violet dress, and smiling smugly as she ascended the steps to the stage. I simply starred in disbelief.

"You called Lord Oren?" She said, as comfortably as if she were greeting an old friend rather than the villain who planned to destroy the forest. My breath came out in a sobbing gasp.

"Tanya... how could you? How _could _you?! We were friends! This place was your home! How could you just sell it away for nothing?!"

To my shock, Tanya laughed with a voice that sounded nothing like the sweet girl I'd come to know during my stay here. "Oh don't play the innocent little princess, Mary Katherine. I'm not trying to destroy all of Willhollow! I'm just a girl trying to save her skin..."

"And you think the best way to do that is to sell out your entire kingdom?" I asked desperately. She simply rolled her eyes, like everything I said was a joke. I shook my head in sorrow and disbelief. "Tanya no..."

The girl cackled, a sound that in no way resembled the Tanya that I'd know, the one that had taken care of me and helped me during my stay in Willhollow. "Don't you see? I'm not selling Willhollow. I'm _saving _it. With your power, Lord Oren is going to make this silly little kingdom the greatest empire it's ever been. Not to mention he'd willing annihilate anything stopping him, and do _not _intend to be one of the fools trying to stand in his way."

Then she turned to the man who had cause so much destruction already. "Will the ceremony be commencing soon?" She asked, her voice sounding stone cold and uncaring, as though I wasn't even there. Oren smiled. "Yes, we're just waiting for the last few guests to arrive."

Suddenly, I heard shouting and the sound of struggling voice, and gasped in horror, because I recognized the sound. Before I knew it, a row of enemy soldiers trudged in, holding a captive Tarren, several Willhollow soldiers, and Nod. I pulled against Oren's grip.

"_Nod!"_ I screeched, desperately trying to tear away from the psychotic dictator, who simply tightened his grip on my bound arms. Nod met my eyes, and struggled against the man holding him back as well.

"MK!" he shouted, ripping one arm away from the man. Unfortunately, the soldier quickly gained control, and struck the Leafman down across the back, causing him to collapse to the floor. I screamed.

"NO STOP!" my voice echoed, and he looked up at me from his hunched over place on the ground, a look of fear and anxious desperation in eyes. I let out a ragged breath, tears pricking at my eyes. "Please... don't hurt him..."

Oren's laughter boomed. "Well isn't that touching? Even after everything you two did, you're both still _madly_ in love!" He clasped his hands together in a romantic mock motion. I glared at him, jaw tightening rigidly, and once again tried to break the charm Oren had used to seal my powers. It felt like melting ice; still strong, but getting weaker and weaker by the moment. I just had to push a little harder...

"Well then!" Oren shouted, gaining the attention of the fear-stricken crowd. "I suppose it's time to begin." And he suddenly threw me to my knees before him. I grunted as my knees collided harshly on the stone floor. Nod tugged against his restraint harder, frantically trying to break away.

"Oren _please, __**please **_don't do this! Just let her go!" He shouted, and you could hear the sheer vulnerability in his voice. It made me want to rush over and comfort him, tell him everything was going to be fine, though Oren's laughter made me realize what a lie that would be.

"Oh don't worry boy, you'll be _joining_ her soon enough." Then he paused a moment. "Or perhaps... I'll just let you wallow in your own misery for the rest of your life instead?"

Nod uttered shouts of protest as he fought against the large, burly man holding him back. He yelled my name over and over again, begging Oren not to do it. I thought I could hear Tarren's voice two, but my thoughts were zoning out. I gasped as Oren's hands clasped softly around my throat, and he began uttering some sort of chant.

I could feel the binding feeling in my chest start to loosen. Oren was removing the restriction charm. Of course, I figured. We would have to release my powers before stripping me of them. His chants however, seemed to lock me in place. Even if I'd had my powers, I wouldn't have been able to use them.

My breath caught, and I closed my eyes. This really was the end. I was going to die right here and now, and Nod was either going to follow, or be locked away and tortured for the rest of his life. Why had I ever sent Jenni after him? What had I been thinking?! That he'd somehow single-handedly be able to defeat an entire _army?_ That he wouldn't be as absolutely stupid and reckless in the process as he always was?

I felt a lump in my throat, and a few solitary tears slip from my eyes.

"Nod..." I whispered, though he was too far away to hear.

"I'm sorry..."

Right when I felt the uncomfortable heat around my throat, and was sure he was about to finish me off, a fiery explosion blew out the south gate, across from the stage, blowing away several guards.

Suddenly, a mob of Leafmen charged forward, Ronin at the frontlines, and began taking down Oren's minions. The fairy crowd, terrified by the sudden burst, began screaming and rushing to exit during the fight, leaving the entire stadium in a mob of mass chaos.

Oren hand loosened slightly, weakening the bond only a tiny bit, but just enough for my hand to reach up and grasp his, sending a shockwave of light energy surging through him. The shock blasted him away from me, causing me to stumble forward out of his grip.

Gasping softly and holding my throat for a moment, I jumped up and turned to face the former captain, who was now scraping himself up off the ground, laughing rather darkly.

"Well, well, well..." He cackled diabolically, causing me to stagger back. "Looks like the little rabbit actually has some kick to her."

I glared at him. "Looks like you messed with the wrong Lady of Destiny."

He scoffed. "Perhaps..." And then he sprung forward. I flashed my hand towards him and shot a beam of light towards him. He stuck out his own hand to meet the blast, and absorbed it like it rubber absorbed electricity!

My eyes widened, and I intensified the attack, but it had no effect. Oren scoffed. "Or perhaps _you _messed with the wrong ruler..."

Then suddenly, he leapt past the attack and rushed towards me, I lifted up vines through the flooring in a last desperate effort to evade the maniac, but he was too fast, and suddenly had both hands around my neck once more. My screams were choked out by his tight grip, and he suddenly pulled, and thrust me against the back wall, holding me a foot or two above the floor.

I uttered choked gags, clawing at his arms and squirming desperately in an effort to release myself from his hold, but I couldn't. Over Oren's shoulder, I could see Nod, eyes wide with horror, trying to get past the mob of fighting soldiers to save me, but there were too many holding him back.

Besides, he was too late anyways. I could feel Oren already sapping the energy away from me, the black ribbons of energy searing into my skin where he had my throat. This however, felt much different from the first time. It felt as if his fingers were injecting wires of fiery electricity into my throat, and running them through me like veins. I twitched and writhed in pain, unable to choke out a scream with the mad man cutting off my air supply.

"Well," Oren laughed. "It looks like the end for the fabled Lady of Destiny! You know, I guessed the moment I met you that it wouldn't be difficult to finish you off. You've actually proven to be a bit more of a challenge though. So cong_ratulations _Milady. You've _impressed _me."

I jerked again, flailing my legs, and clawing at his arms once more. He didn't even seem to notice however.

I suddenly heard Nod's voice ring out over the rest. "MARY KATHERINE!"

"Seal off the stage." Oren suddenly ordered. I scoffed, or attempted to as much as I could while in the choke-hold. I was sure my face had started going red by now, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I said seal off the gate!" He said, tightening his grip I squeaked in pain, tearing at his arms more. "Seal it." He persisted, pulling out a knife. "Or I'll kill him the moment be mounts the steps."

I gasped in a chocked breath, looking past Oren to the Leafmen rushing towards me, lips shouting my name, with tears streaming down my face, I mouthed one word to him, before raising the idled vines over to lock us in a cage.

"Sorry."

Nod slammed against the sturdy vines, desperately trying to weasel his way through, screaming my name even louder than before. I ignored him...

"I'm proud of you Miss Mary Katherine." Oren cackled. "You _do _know when you've met your match."

My eyes narrowed, but it felt half hearted considering my vision was going blurry. Oren laughed once more.

"Well I guess this is the end, Mary Katherine, the Lady of Destiny. Anything to add before you die?"

I swallowed the dry lump in my throat, looked the man straight in his eyes, and whispered five last words. "This is _not_ the end..."

Oren processed this for a moment, before shrugging with mocking indifference. "If you say so." And then suddenly squeezed tighter, sending a shockwave of stinging through me. My agonized screech was cut off by a hollow gasp, feeling the energy seeping up out of my lips like a gold mist, and seeping into Oren's.

Then suddenly, it was as if the world was being pulled from my vision, like a tooth being pulled from the gum. I felt limp and frail like a rag doll as Oren let me drop to the floor. Right before I collided with the stone ground however, and the world went dark, I was able to process that one last thought.

"_This is __**not **__the end."_

_(Nod's POV)_

I thrashed violently against the crowd, desperately trying to get to the stage where Oren now had MK pinned to the wall. I could feel myself getting hit and slashed all over, but I didn't care. The only thing that mattered was getting to Mary Katherine before Oren finished her off.

"MARY KATHERINE!" I shouted, pushing past man after man, making my way all too slowly to the front. When I had gotten past the men, and was freely sprinting towards the two, I made eye-contact with the stopper girl. Her eyes were teary, face red from lack of air, and as I grew closer, I saw her mouth one last word to me.

_Sorry_

"No... NO!" I bellowed, somehow finding the power to speed up, but it was too late. With one flick of the wrist, MK brought to life the still vines on the ground, locked Oren and herself on the stage, leaving me outside, watching helplessly as the man drained her of life.

I struggled and pushed, pulling out my sword and slashing against the thick vines, but they were infused with MK's powers, and therefore my sword did nothing. Angrily tossing the useless piece of metal aside, I continued trying to squeeze in, shouting Mary Katherine's name over and over. She wasn't listening anymore though.

"Well I guess this is the end, Mary Katherine, the Lady of Destiny." Oren mocked, making me push harder and harder, still to no avail. "Anything to add before you die?"

I starred frantically and helplessly as MK whispered her last words. "This is _not _the end..."

Oren shrugged, muttered one last thing, and suddenly tightened his grip, causing a flash of golden and blue light to burst from his tightened hand.

"_NO!" _I screamed. "MARY KATHERINE!"

Then, just like that, the light faded like smoke, and I watched and the red-haired body collapsed to the stage, the former captain staggering away, absorbing her energy.

Almost instantly, the vines lost their stability, and collapsed along with her, giving me the access I needed. I leapt up immediately, and rushed to her side, breathing raggedly in horror.

"M-MK!" I yelled, lifting her into my arms. Her green eyes were wide-open, mouth slightly agape, but the green of her irises were fogged over, and hollow. I cradled her to my chest, going into denial. "No MK, _NO!_ You stay with me okay?! Don't you _dare _leave me again!"

This... this wasn't happening... She couldn't... NO! She was_ not _dead! I had been so close. _**So **_close, and I had only been able to sit there and watch as the captain of Willhollow did this to Mary Katherine _right _in front of me...

"It's all my fault..." I sobbed, clutching her to my chest. "It's _all _my fault..."

Suddenly, I heard a loud cry of laughter, and turned to see Oren, sauntering towards us, a look of maniacal dominance in his expression. I held MK closer to me.

"You know what?" he whispered demonically. "I think I'll stay true to my first promise, and just finish you off now. It's easier that way, am I right?"

Then, he raised his hand, and a light glowed from it, similar to MK's except that it was black, not gold. He smiled, and aimed it at us. Closing my eyes tight, I clutched the girl's body to my own, trying to shield her though I knew it would do little good. He was going to finish us both off...

Right before Oren fired his wave, a small brown bulb collided with his chest, and blew up right in front of his face. The man shouted, and stumbled backwards off the stage. I looked up slowly, and suddenly two more figures were next to me, reaching for MK. I pulled her close to my chest.

"_NO! _Stay away from her!" I yelled, but when I felt a soft hand on my own, I loosened my hold and looked at the two people.

Jenni and Isabelle.

"Y-You guys!" Was the only thing I could think to say. Isabelle nodded sternly and Jenni smiled. "How did you get out?"

"We snuck out the back when we heard the guards coming, and got away!" Jenni cried as if it were her greatest victory. I almost smiled.

"Then we ran into your Leafmen down at the borders, and brought them in... Let me see the girl." She said, gesturing to the pale-faced MK staring emptily into space. Sighing, I held her out so Isabelle could see her, but refused to let go.

Isabelle felt her forehead, rubbed her hand for a moment, and then nodded. "She's still alive."

My eyes widened. "W-What?! She's not breathing though!" Even as I went over this undeniable fact however, I could help but feel my heart speed up with sheer hope.

Isabelle simply shook her head. "Oren's draining must have put her under some sort of comatose paralysis, but she's still alive. Here, feel!" And she placed the girl's wrist in my hand. I could feel a pulse, extremely weak, but enough to make my heart skyrocket.

She wasn't dead.

"She's... she's alive..." I whispered, squeezing her hand tighter.

"Yes but in this state, not for very long. We need to get her to someone who can heal her, and fast."

I nodded, and was about to lift her up, when I suddenly heard a sharp whizzing sound, and felt something whirr right into my side, knocking he back. I gasped, feeling a burning and freezing sensation at the same time.

"NOD!" I heard Jenni's blurred voice cry, but I couldn't focus on it. It was too far away. Suddenly I felt a rough hand grab the front of my shirt, and lift me to my feet.

Oren's chuckle echoed, bouncing off the walls of my head and making it ache.

"Like my little treat, Leafman?" He said, though his voice sounded serrated. Everything around me seemed to spin, going in and out of focus. I felt like I was either going to be sick, pass out, or explode all at the same time.

"It's specially engineered from those Hemlock thorns. Except this one actually kills you. Slowly, painfully, dragging you into a spinning pit of agony in the process... It's quite beautiful."

Then he laughed, and it sounded deeper, and more demonic than usual. I scrambled and pounded my fist against him in an effort to free myself. All my blows feet weak and motions sluggish and blurred however.

"But," Said Oren. "Since you're going to die anyways now, I figured I'd put you out of your misery now. And don't worry, boy. Your little Lady of Destiny will be up to meet you soon."

This somehow broke through the wall of delusional swirls and sounds. "M-MK!" I blubbered out, my mouth feeling thick and stiff on the inside.

Oren grinned maniacally, and right before he blasted me with a glowing ball of energy, an arrow suddenly embedded itself in his shoulder, causing his cry to book as he dropped me. Gasping, and now finding it very difficult to breath, I looked up and saw the flash of blonde hair.

Had that... Had that been Tarren?

I didn't have the time, or mental stability to try and figure out if it had been him. I could feel the world flashing between light and dark, and I knew I was starting to go under. Suddenly, I felt someone else next to me, draping my arm over his shoulder and helping me up.

"R-Ronin?" I muttered, blinking in an effort to clear my vision. It only made it worse.

"C'mon" he shouted, "We're getting out of here."

"B-B-But MK!" I turned my head, where she still lay in the floor, looking washed out and grey. Where had Isabelle and Jenni gone?

Ronin sighed sadly. "Nod... She didn't make it."

I shook my head, which only made the world spin more. No, she was fine. We were going to help her... I fought against Ronin, mumbling her name; though it was so jumbled you couldn't tell.

"Nod there'

s nothing we can do we need to _go!" _Ronin shouted, pulling me father and farther away from her. No! We couldn't just leave her there!

"N-NO!" I shouted, but suddenly, a wave of nausea and dizziness washed over me, and right before I blacked out, I whispered.

"MK... I'm so sorry..."

* * *

**BWUAAAAAAAAHHH! I'M SO SORRY! But **_**PLEASE DON'T FREAK OUT! **_**Remember what I said, **_**IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY! **_**I know it doesn't seem like it **_**can **_**anymore I promise. IT WILL.**

**But now you guys see why I couldn't give you **_**that **_**nightmare on a holiday. It'd just be too messed up. But fear not, you'll see what happens in the next chapter, which will be up within the hour I promise!**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	36. Falling

**So this chapter's pretty short, at least compared to the last one, but hey otherwise you'd go the night thinking all hope was lost. So without further ado, chapter 36.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 36:**

**Falling**

_(MK's POV)_

_Darkness._

_Coldness._

_Loneliness._

_Drifting through an ocean of air, thick like water, but still able to choke in a breath here and there._

_Is this what death feels like?_

_This felt strange. Worse than heaven, better than hell..._

_Maybe this is some sort of in-between prison? A punishment for not having been strong enough to save a kingdom of innocent people? Or for leading my boyfriend and the rest of the Leafmen into a suicide mission? Maybe it was for breaking Nod's heart in the first place, or maybe for breaking Tarren's...?_

_Maybe all the awful things I'd done had accumulated to this? A sentence to limbo for the rest of eternity? _

_I sighed, trying to drift back into unconsciousness. That would be better than feeling the choking depression of air here..._

_Suddenly, I saw a small fogging light above where I drifted. I tried moving towards it, but I felt like I was trying to swim through gelatin. Everything felt sluggish and horrible._

_I didn't have to try for long though, because the light suddenly flew down, and enveloped me, shinning like a lamp right in my face. I cringed away, and suddenly felt my self ripped from the foggy air-water. This would've been a relief, if I hadn't then begun falling through the air, towards a dark black floor._

_I wanted to scream, by my lips felt sealed together. To be honest, despite knowing what the pain would feel like upon impact, the rush of falling through air was almost calming._

_Falling... _

_Falling..._

_Falling..._

_Then I hit the ground_

I gasped from the expectant, though dreamt-up, shock of impact; breathing so heavily I was surprised my lungs hadn't burst. I began coughing, not being able to get the air in my lungs fast enough, as I began curling into myself, I realized that someone had been holding my wrist. Tearing my hand away, I rolled onto my hands and knees, and then scrambled away shakily.

"S-Stay... Stay away from m-me." I choked out, my voice sounding scratchy and quiet. It felt like someone had rubbed my throat with sandpaper, and all my muscles felt stiff, like I'd been frozen in the same place for years on end.

"Calm yourself, Milady. You've only just awoken, and are still _very_ weak."

I began taking deep breaths in an effort to calm myself, and squinted to see the person who had spoken. The voice seemed familiar...

Taking a deep breath, I leaned forward slightly. "Your...Your Majesty?"

My vision was pretty poor and blurry, but I could here the relieved sigh of the queen who had been imprisoned for so many years. A smile spread over my face.

"H-how did you escape?"

Queen Rheina smiled, I think. My eyesight was still blurry. "My daughter and the maid, Isabelle released any prisoners who had been locked in the high dungeon. I could sense it when Oren had sapped your power, so I rushed to see if there was anything I could do."

"When Oren..." I mumbled, trying to process what she'd said, when I suddenly gasped, remembering Oren taking my power. "Wait... How am I s-still alive then? Sh-Shouldn't I have died?"

Rheina grimaced. "To be honest Milady...you came close. I had to drag you here to keep Oren from finishing you off. Mary Katherine, I believe that Oren hasn't retrieved all your energy yet. That's why you survived..."

I processed this information. So the mad man hadn't gotten the job completely done, and that was why I wasn't dead. But if I still had some of the power that he needed...

"But that means...He's going to come back after me." I concluded, and by the darkening of the queen's expression, I knew it was true.

"Yes," Rheina said. "Oren will be searching for you once more, and in your weakened state you won't stand a chance..."

I groaned as I sat up, and realized we were tucked in a crevice behind a large rock. Her majesty must have hidden me here to keep Oren or any of his goons from finding me. Question was however: where were they now, and how had that fight played out?

"W-Where are the others now? Did my friends make it out okay" I asked, my voice still shaky, but stronger than before. That must've been a good sign.

"I believe the Leafmen were able to escape with few casualties. They left to regroup and Oren didn't go after them, but he's searching fervently for you. We don't have much time. Come!" She said, pulling herself up and reaching for my hand. I smiled and took it, but nearly fell over again after standing. My legs felt like spaghetti and rising too quickly had caused my head to spin.

"Don't overexert yourself, Mary Katherine."

I did my best to smile. "I'm fine, I promise..."

"Well we're going to get you to the bunker soon, and Aaron will be able to help you. Come now, I'll show you where the pathway is. All of the survivors who could make it have already fled there."

We then began making our way across the back of the castle, stopping right at the corner. As Rheina checked for any of Oren's goons around the bend, a thought suddenly arose.

"Have Tarren or Jenni seen you yet? Do they know... that you're okay?"

The queen sighed. "I took off right from the dungeon to assist you and I didn't see my daughter except from the corner of my eye, so no, neither of them have seen me yet... I think it would be better to wait until we've defeated Oren before breaking the news to them."

I nodded in agreement. With all the stress that was probably already on the two members of the royal family, revealing that they dead mother wasn't _actually _dead, in the heat of war, might be more than they could take.

"Alright the coast is clear." The queen said, and we both began running across the grass in an effort to reach the cover of brush on the other side. On the other side, I saw Isabelle, seeing us both coming, and waving us over.

"Hurry!" She mouthed. We sped up slightly.

Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by the both of us, nearly hitting the queen and causing her to jump away. I staggered back, and stood like a deer in the headlights, starring at the enemy archer as he fired another arrow right at me. Feeling frozen in my tracks, and seeing the oncoming arrow, I tensed.

"AHG!" I suddenly heard the all too familiar cry, and watched in horror-stricken slow motion as Isabelle collapsed before my feet, the arrow jutting out of her torso.

"NO!" I screamed, falling to my knees and turned her to face up, much like I had with Queen Tara when she's shrunk me the first time so long ago. That life felt like a different universe compared to the nightmare I was trapped in now...

"Oh my god!" I cried, not sure what to do. Isabelle groaned, before wrapping her fingers around the arrow, and pulling in out with a harsh yank. Her scream echoed through the forest, and I bit my lip.

Isabelle gasped from the pain, and her breathing began growing shallower. I felt tears pour down my cheeks. "Isabelle. W-What do I do?" I sobbed, as the queen suddenly appeared beside me. She must've gone to take care of the soldier.

The head maid, who I'd once shown an extreme distaste for, who had just taken an arrow for the person who's powers were destroying her home, smiled up at me, like I deserved any kind of love.

"Go. There's a bird waiting on the other side of the brush. Fly it until you reach the outskirts of the meadow on the north side. That's where the others have camped. Take the queen and go."

She spoke to me like a mother trying to comfort and assist and frightened child, and in that moment I saw my own mother in her. The way she was smiling as she slipped away, was almost identical to the way my mom had... and it was _too _much for me to handle.

I shook my head violently. "Okay there is no _way _you are going to go all move-star, sacrificial hero on us okay?! You're coming too!" And I tried to help her up, but she cried out in protest, causing me to set her down.

Isabelle laughed weakly through the pain. "There's no time Milady. Willhollow needs _you_ now. They need you to save this place."

I sobbed again, squeezing my eyes shut. "Isabelle I can't do anything anymore, okay? Oren has my powers! Without them... I'm useless..."

I felt Isabelle's frail hand on my cheek. "You know... I thought the same thing when I first met you."

I looked down at the dying woman, and I couldn't suppress the slight shock, no matter how much I deserved it. Isabelle continued though.

"I thought you were just a scared little girl hiding behind the rest of the world. Behind your Leafmen, and your powers, and everything... You're not though Mary Katherine. You're _much _stronger than anyone, even _you, _give yourself credit for. It's strength that comes from the heart, and that's something no one can overcome

Suddenly Isabelle turned, and glared past me. "Not even him..."

I looked in the direction the maid was glaring, and saw the man

I suddenly felt Isabelle's head roll to the side, and looked back down to see that her dark grey eyes, that were still wide open, had fogged over, and her entire body had suddenly lost all tension.

She was gone...

I lowered my head, gritting my teeth together, trying to fight back the tears. I refused to cry any longer...

"Milady you must go!" Rheina cried, grabbing my arm.

"What about you?!"

"I'll stay and distract them. It'll give you more time to flee."

"No, I'm not leaving-" I protested, but she cut me off.

"There's no time!" She shouted. "One of us has to make it back to warn Willhollow, and if you don't find Aaron soon, you're going to get even weaker..."

I didn't know what to do, and with the guards growing closer, I didn't have much time to decide

Rheina smiled "_Go_ child. I'll be fine."

Sighing, I softly laid Isabelle's body onto the ground, rose, and began running once more with the queen, towards the brush. An arrow or two whizzed by, but missed me luckily.

Just as Isabelle had said, there was a bird tied to a branch there. I untied her and climbed on. As the bird rose into the air, and we were about to take off, I looked back for a second, and saw Oren kneeling next to Isabelle's body for a moment, an expression of pain and sorrow gracing his features for a split second.

Then, he rose, and rolled her body over with his foot, as if it were a dead piece of road kill. He turned and struck the queen flat across the face, shouting something else to her and his men.

I clenched my fists around the reigns of the bird, so much wanting to go back and show this creature just what a monstrosity he had become, but there was nothing I could do. I was just a weak little girl now...

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I whipped the bird's reins, and he began flying out of Willhollow, and towards the outskirts of Willhollow's meadow, where the others were. I tried to suppress the growing sick feeling in my stomach. How could I have just deserted the queen, and all of Willhollow?!

I sighed, wiping the thought from my mind. I wasn't deserting this place, or the queen. We were going to come back and defeat the man who had hurt so many people...

Somehow, we were going to stop him...

* * *

**Sooooooooo... At least _MK's_ not dead...?**

"**-_- I'm despicable I know. And you'd be more disgusted with me if you knew like the dark thought process i went through during this chapter. I was like****"Hmm who can I kill that won't cripple the story but will still affect the audience?" Like they weren't even people, just things I could kill. IDK it was a weird place in my mind to be...**

**So yeah. Next chapter will be up tomorrow, and I'm just warning, it's not exactly going to get happier until the end. IT WILL GET HAPPIER, just...not now. So hold on until the end!**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	37. You Did This

**Okay I'm really sorry for not having updated for several days. I haven't abandoned the story. I just... I just had a couple bad ex-related run-ins this weekend and was sorta sulking in my room for the past couple days, unwilling to find the will to do anything "XD That's **_**no **_**excuse though, so I'm back, and regular updates will continue.**

**This chapter is kind of filler/ kind of not filler. There's some cute stuff in it though (MKxNod and MKxTarren both XD because I'm evil.) Then shit goes **_**down **_**next chapter... I think. XDD I'll need to read ahead.**

**OH, and among other slightly related good news, I've been bombed with some new plot ideas for that possible IDBIL sequel. Again, like the Frozen story, it would take a lot of time, but I think it could be really cute and interesting. I'd be bringing back the Boggans I think, and a couple new characters of my own ^^ **

**You'll discover as more stories start appearing that I basically only write oc stories. I'll occasionally spit out a canon-character story, but for the most part, I enjoy taking the skeleton of an existing story, and expanding from there. XD I guess that's why Fanfiction was made for me.**

**But yeah, for now we can stick to **_**this **_**story. Chapter 37 guys!**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 37:**

**You Did This**

_(MK'S POV)_

I decided to land a little farther out, and walk the distance, in case the soldiers mistook me for an enemy and shot me down. I was sure they'd be on high alert at this point.

While we were down in the dungeon, Rheina had told me about the bunkers that the people of Willhollow had built when it was first founded. They were meant to be shelters to retreat to if the Boggans moved from the fallen Master City to attack Willhollow, but after one of them caved in, almost killing some children playing inside, the people decided to abandon them.

Now, years and years later, they were being used to house Willhollow's last stand against Oren.

I trudged forward, feeling my feet growing heavier and heavier. The disoriented feeling I'd had when Rheina had first awoken me before was starting to come back, and each step seemed to move slower and slower than before.

Finally though, I managed to reach the place Queen Rheina had described to me: Two large grey boulders, forming a large crevice between them. That was where the entrance to the bunker was, or so the queen had said.

Feeling a new sense of relief wash over my, I found it in myself to speed up, though the feeling resembled dragging your shoes through thick mud. Still, my pounding heart gave me the will to keep moving.

Rheina hadn't been able to get here before going to save me, so she hadn't accounted who was here yet. Who had survived, and who hadn't...

_Nod..._

What if he was hurt? What if Oren had gotten a hold of him, or someone had gotten him during the fighting. What if...?

No! He was fine. I was going to find him at the front gate, waiting for me when I got there. It was this image that pushed me to a run as I gained up on the rocks.

Rather than Nod however, I was met with the point of an arrow right in my face.

"Make one move and you're finished."

"Whoa!" I yelled, staggering back. In the darkness I couldn't make out the face of the person aiming their arrow right at me, though the voice sounded familiar, but I did recognize the helmet as that of a Leafman. "Hey relax it's just me! Mary Katherine!"

The arrow pinpointed on my face immediately fell. "MK?"

My eyes widened, and I gasped in relief. "Ronin!"

Before I knew what I was doing, I threw my arms around the man that had become a second father to me.

"God, we thought you'd been killed..." He mumbled. I pulled away.

"Where's Nod?" I asked urgently. "He's here isn't he? Is he okay?"

To this, Ronin sighed, which wasn't a comforting response. "Yes, Nod's here, but..."

"Well where is he?!" I asked, not caring for long explanations. I just needed to see his face right now. Something in my gut told me it was urgent.

Ronin pointed into the crevice, where a long narrow stairwell descended down. "He and everyone else are down there, but MK-"

Nodding with a new sense of determination, I started for the entryway, not bothering to listen to Ronin's comment or wait for him to lead the way.

"MK!" He shouted, but his voice was already too far. Right now, seeing Ronin didn't matter. I _was _glad to see him, but there was someone else that I _needed _to see more...

The way in was long, but after descending the steps, I found myself in a huge room filled with soldiers, both of Willhollow and Moonhaven. Some were more injured than others, but all held an heir of depression. I sighed. With my powers now in Oren's hands, their chances of saving Willhollow were dwindling down.

"_Mary Katherine!"_ I heard the familiar shout of the prince of Willhollow, and turned to see the blond boy running towards me. I smiled; glad to see that he wasn't too hurt, as he suddenly gathered me up in his arms.

Suddenly he pulled away, looking me in the eyes. "I thought... you weren't breathing back there and we _thought..."_

I laughed. "I'm_ fine_ Tarren, thanks to..." But I trailed off. Queen Rheina had asked me not to tell either of her children about her surviving yet. As much as I wanted to, I knew it'd be better to let her tell them herself.

Tarren hadn't seemed to notice my hesitation though, and smiled back. Despite the confusion between us, I was still really glad to see him...

Suddenly I remembered my Leafman, and grabbed Tarren's arm. "Tarren, do you know where Nod is?"

Tarren's face fell slightly, but he still spoke heartily. "Yes they're keeping him in one of the bunk rooms."

"Where?" I asked, anxious now. They wouldn't be keeping him away from the others away from him unless something was wrong... No, I couldn't think like that! He was fine, he was fine, he was fine...

Tarren pointed to a door several yards away, and I rushed towards him, not waiting for the prince to answer. I opened it swiftly, and covered my mouth when I entered.

The room was small, with a long table covered in first aid items on the left wall with a chair next to it, and on the other side, sat a bed. Nod lay on the bed, looking pale, twitching and moaning in pain and deliria.

"Nod!" I shouted, running to his side. Aaron sat next to him, stirring a little wooden bowl of some sort of dark liquid. He moved back as I sat on the side of the cot and rubbed his face. "Nod, can you hear me?"

His head rolled back and forth as me muttered delirious, inaudible sounds. I turned desperately to the prophet. "What's wrong with him?!"

Aaron grimaced. "He was hit with one of Oren's Hemlock darts, but the monster must've altered the poison somehow. It's made the boy paralyzed and delirious for the last hour or two."

I turned back to the Leafman, and stroked his cheek. Delirious as he was, he still leaned into my touch, and a small whimper escaped his lips. I sighed. "Well is he gonna be okay?"

Aaron's face darkened slightly, washing me over with a shot of fear. "... The poison had a lot of time to spread before Prince Tarren and the others were able to get him to me. He's definitely improved since when he first got here, and I think he'll be able to pull through but...if he's going to make it out of this, he's gonna need to fight pretty damn hard..."

Suddenly, I felt frail fingers curl around my hand, holding it closer to his cheek, and Nod's eyes cracked open.

"M-MK...?" He whispered, his voice sounding distorted, almost like he had just come up from under anesthesia. I gasped, completely thrilled that he was awake. Aaron smiled, and quietly strolled out to give us some privacy.

"Y-You're okay... I thought you were dead..." Nod choked out.

I shook my head, running my hand over his cheek again, as though I were comforting a child. "No, no baby. I'm fine, and you're gonna be okay too. I promise..."

Suddenly. He started grabbing onto my arms, still feeling limp and weak in his deliria. "Mary K-Katherine... I'm s-s-sorry...I let him h-hurt you..." He tried to choke out, though he could barely speak. I shook my head, and suddenly pulled him close to me, resting my head on top of his.

"No, no, shhhhhhh you didn't do anything wrong... It's okay, we're gonna be okay."

He persisted though. "I... didn't want to h-hurt you... thought... you were... better off...with him... Tarren..."

My mouth fell open the slightest bit, and I almost felt like crying. I raised my head and placed my forehead on his. "Nod..."

He let out a ragged breath and reached hesitantly up, his fingers brushing my cheek. "Didn't... m-mean it...N-None... of it..."

Suddenly, without warning, even from myself, I pressed my lips to his, holding his face in my hands. His hand brushed from my cheek and rested itself at the base of my neck.

Of course he hadn't meant it! I, in my fury and guilt, had let myself believe that someone like Nod would _ever _say such horrible things to me, and actually _mean _them...

It felt like we sat there forever, frozen in our own little eternity, before we finally broke apart, and I smiled. "Nod... we're going to get out of here okay, alright? I promise we're gonna go home..."

Nod let out a sigh of content, before his eyes closed again, and he began drifting to sleep. I sat next to him for a long time, comforting him when he started tossing and turning. He muttered and whimpered most of the time, and said my name a lot. It felt bittersweet to me...

_You did this, _a little voice in my head kept taunting. _You brought him here. You let Oren do this to him..._

_Nod, please be okay... Please..._

(Later...)

Ugh... I began peeling my eyes open, groggy from sleep. How long had I been out? Why was the room so bright, and hazy?

I heard a soft laugh, and squinted to see the figure next to me. The person in question placed her hand on my cheek and laughed again.

"It's time to wake up dear." It said. "You still have things to do."

I tried to raise my head the slightest bit, but it made my already foggy vision that much blurrier. The figure was tall and slender, and familiar. "M-Mom...?"

The woman sighed sympathetically. "No I'm afraid not."

I suddenly recognized Isabelle's voice, and jumped up, the fog rushing back, but the former head maid simply smiled and started strolling out of the room.

"Isabelle wait..." I whispered, feeling myself going under once more. The blurred figure of the fairy woman stopped at the door. I reached my hand out to her. "Please don't leave yet... I need your help. I... I don't know what to do...How to stop him."

Isabelle smiled. "You will. When the time comes for you do decide... you'll know. Now you need to wake up child."

I shook my head, trying to fight back the heavy waves of blackness dragging me under once more. "Isabelle... no. Stay!"

And just like that, I closed my eyes, and suddenly started. "Wait!"

I was sitting up in a chair next to Nod's cot. I must've fallen asleep next to him. I stood up from my chair and rubbed my forehead, trying to clear my foggy head. It took me a moment longer than it should have to realize that there was someone else in the room. I spun on my heels.

Sitting nearby, looking around curiously was Jenni, holding a bag of some sort. As she stood up and smiled, her cheeks looking as rosy and healthy as they had when I first met her, I gasped. _"Jenni!"_

Suddenly, I rushed over to the little twelve year old and scooped her up in my arms, causing her to drop whatever bag she bad been holding. She laughed and wrapped her arms around my neck as I spun around.

"Oh my goodness!" I cried, quietly to not wake up Nod, who was finally sleeping peacefully. "I'm so glad you're okay! I thought... oh Jenni I'm so sorry I made you fly so far to find the Leafmen!"

Jenni laughed again. "It's fine Mary Katherine. Besides, I'm all better now! Aaron gave me some medicine for the poison and it made me better real fast."

I pulled away, and cupped her cheek in my hand. I really was so glad to see her...

Suddenly, the little one jumped, as if remembering something, and reached down for the bag she had dropped. It took my still-slow mind a moment to realize that it was my backpack; the one I'd left in my room back at Willhollow.

My jaw dropped slightly. "I... How did you...?"

Jenni giggled. "One of the maids grabbed it for me before we fled the castle. I thought you might want to change out of that dress."

This comment brought to mind the fact that I was still, in fact, wearing the tattered wedding dress that had once looked so beautiful. Wait...

Frantically, I suddenly reached for my throat, and upon feeling the cord still clasped around my throat, sighed with relief. I hadn't lost Nod's necklace.

Jenni smiled softly. "I'll show you where the washroom is. You probably want to clean up."

I laughed. "Yeah..." But then glanced back worriedly at Nod. Aaron had said that he would be better when he awoke, and I wanted to be the first one to see him when he did...

"He's not going anywhere Milady." Jenni said almost jokingly, and took my hand, leading me out of the room. She then pointed down a hallway to a small room on the left.

"That's where the washroom is. If it makes you feel better, I'll stay here and watch Nod for you."

I smiled. It did make me feel better. Thanking Jenni, I then rushed down the hall to the bathroom and got all cleaned up, changing out of gritty, mud-ground dress, washing up, and changing into a pair of clean jeans and a long sleeve shirt. I pulled my favorite, dark pink hoodie over my head, laced up my boots, and pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I looked into the mirror that was supplied in the room, and smiled softly. I looked almost exactly like I had that day I first came to Moonhaven, and at the same time, I looked nothing like that girl at all.

Something in me had changed since then. I looked stronger, more mature maybe. Or maybe just more worn down... Either way, I didn't feel as helpless as I'd been when I'd first been shrunk down to two inches...

The sad truth however was that I _was _still weak. Without my powers, I was as useless as I had ever been. I couldn't fight, or defend myself, or do anything...

Sighing, I packed everything back into my bag, and exited the room. I had to be quiet as I tiptoed back to Nod's room, because it was late, and quite a few people had gone to sleep in the main ward. Small lanterns were lit here and there, and people were gathered around them, whispering and worrying about what was going to happen next. It dampened my spirits, seeing more innocent people so afraid...

I had almost reached the room Nod was staying in when I heard two voices from round a large lantern nearby. Recognizing the prince's raised voice, I cautiously tip toed over, being careful to stay hidden behind a nearby pillar.

I could see Tarren standing before Aaron, looking angry about something. Aaron sat before a blanket covered in different vials, browsing through the array of glass bottles, seeming indifferent about the prince's anger. His eyes looked tired though. Tired and concerned. A few other men sat around, not appearing to even notice the two arguing men as they stared absent-mindedly into the flickering light of the lamp.

"C'mon old man, there has to be _something _you can do. Anything!"

Aaron sighed. "I wish there was your highness... But now that Oren has sealed the bond with the Lady of Destiny through her power, he'll be able to keep draining her of life, no matter how much distance is put between the two..."

My eyes widened. I spun around to lean against the pillar and covered my mouth to avoid making any sound from shock. So... Oren was still draining me of energy? Even here? Was there anywhere in this nightmare where I was safe?!

I looked back towards the group., and saw Tarren sit down in a chair in the corner, looking paler than usual. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "So that's it then? Mary Katherine's going to die no matter what?"

I flinched, shocked by the idea being tossed around so casually, but shook it off.

"Well... maybe." Aaron replied, causing both Tarren and myself to both perk our ears.

"What do you mean maybe?" Tarren asked incredulously. "You just said-"

"There is the possibility that if we can somehow capture Oren, perhaps we could find a way to relinquish him of those powers, and return them to the Lady of Destiny?"

Suddenly, all the surrounding men came to life, and I recognized one of the worn faces as that of Arthur, the sniveling records-keeper who had said such horrible things about me. Tarren's breath hitched. "Can you do this?"

Aaron sighed. "I am not sure your highness. I would try of course, but even with my knowledge I would not even know where to begin extracting the energy from him. Still..."

Suddenly, Tarren stood, as did the other men sitting around. "Still, it's the best chance we have of saving Mary Katherine, and regaining Willhollow... Arthur, gather what men we have and tell them to ready their weapons. We're going for a surprise attack tonight, to take back the home that is rightfully ours!"

"Wait!" I cried out, jumping up from behind my hiding spot before common sense could tell me not to. Everyone's heads turned towards me, surprised. Tarren's eyes widened, before narrowing suspiciously.

I ran down the steps over to the group of men. "You can't go Tarren. Oren... He's too powerful, now that he has the power of the Lady of Destiny. You guys... you'll be slaughtered."

Tarren groaned. "What else do you expect us to do?! Sit here and watch you die?!"

"Well what do you expect _me _to do?! Sit patiently while you and your men are murdered in cold blood?!" I shouted. "Tarren I know you want to save your home and everything, but you guys are _no _match for Oren! Trust me, I've seen what he can do..."

Tarren let out a humorless, dry laugh. "Well what do you propose we do about that? Because in case you didn't just overhear, even Aaron, the great prophet of Willhollow, doesn't know how to get your powers back. No one can-"

"I can." I stated, cutting the prince off and surprising the whole group. Tarren's eyes grew wide with horror. "No..."

"If I can get to Oren, I _know _I can stop him."

One of the nameless faces that had sat around the light laughed. "Girl, without the power of the Lady of Destiny, you're weaker than any of us. What makes you think you could take on the general of Willhollow, especially now that he's tripled in strength?"

I hesitated, knowing he _should _be right. I had never been trained to fight like these guys had. I was as weak as a child without my powers. What could I do to help...?

_"It's true that you were not brought here to marry Tarren, but the legend of the Lady of Destiny joining with the Leader of Willhollow to save it, still stands. Not for you to marry him, but to fight with him."_

Suddenly, the Queen's words echoed in my mind. Powers or no powers... My destiny still stood.

And I wasn't going to leave Tarren to die alone.

"Tarren... you have to let me come. _This_ is our destiny. The prince of Willhollow and the Lady of Destiny join forces to save Willhollow. _This_ is it!"

Tarren shook his head violently. "No! I'm not bringing you into the middle of a _warzone_, okay?!"

"Tarren, I have to-!"

"NO!" He suddenly boomed, causing me to curl back like he had struck me. He took a few ragged breaths, before standing taller.

"I'm sorry Mary Katherine... But my decision is final."

My breath hitched, and I stepped back as Tarren began ordering the men to ready themselves. They were leaving or Willhollow ASAP.

It wasn't until Tarren headed for the weapon's room that I was able to move, and run after him.

"Tarren wait!" I shouted struggling to keep up with his long strides. He didn't turn around or slow as he threw the double doors open. One almost swung back and hit me as I trudged in after him. The room was darker than the ward outside, and dimly lit by torches. It appeared void of anyone besides the prince and me, for which I was thankful for because I was ready to start yelling at the boy.

"I mean, why do you think Oren hasn't attacked us yet? Now that he's got my powers, what's stopping him?" I suggested. This made Tarren slow for a moment, thinking. I had a point after all.

"He's _afraid _of me. He wasn't able to get _every _last drop of my energy, and he's afraid that I'll be able to retrieve it, with you. _That's _why he's staying cooped up in the city. He's afraid of the prophecy Tarren..."

Tarren still didn't look at me, but continued busying himself with loading up weapons. "I don't care what any stupid prophecy says, you're staying here."

"UGH!" I shouted, before walking right next to the blonde boy. "Tarren you _know _I'm right! You can't do this without me."

Tarren still didn't turn to me. "I _can, _and I _will. You're. Not. __**Going."**_

"Look I know it seems crazy, but I'm sure I'll be able to stop him! I mean, I know... God Tarren will you look at me?!" I yelled, grabbing his shoulder and turning him to face me.

"Geez I'm trying to tell you something _important_ and you're just- Mmfff!"

My voice died as Tarren suddenly pulled my face towards his and pressed his lips to mine. Shocked for a second, my eyes widened, and I pulled away harshly.

"Tarren!" I yelled, and would've continued, if I hadn't seen the look in his eyes as they stared into mine. He looked afraid and desperate, like a child begging their mom not to leave their room at night. I came up short with a response.

Tarren sighed. "Look... I know you don't feel the same way about me Mary Katherine... but I care about you more than I have _anyone_ else, ... and I _won't _justwatch you die at the hands of someone I once trusted... I can't lose you..."

I couldn't think of anything to say, and simply stared back. Tarren turned back to the large wall of weapons, hooked a shining sword to his belt, a bow on his back, and throw a sheath of arrows over his shoulder. He then stormed past me, just like he had the last time he kissed me...

I turned and watched him walk away, and he turned back once before he left, eyes sad. "I'm sorry Mary Katherine... But I'm not risking your life for this. Not again... We'll be back soon..."

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving me alone in the weapons room, letting fear and worry creep over me like a creeping fog.

What was I going to do now?

**Okay I do ship Nod x MK with a passion, but I really enjoyed this little moment between Tarren and MK. XD My friend pointed out that Tarren's sort of like Gale, and I was like "O_O... OMG YES! :O"**

**So yeah, I believe the next chapter we'll get back to Nod's POV. See how poor little sick boy's been doing, huh? ^_^**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	38. Forgive Me Someday

**So I thought about doing a double update today to make up for having disappeared for so long, and I**_** almost**_** thought against it because this chapter is pretty emotionally intense, but I figured I owed you.**

**But be warned this is the only time I'm doing a double update for the rest of the story I think. Because the rest of these chapters will be super climatic and need a day to settle in your brain.**

**So without further ado, chapter 38**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 38:**

**Forgive Me Someday**

_(MK's POV)_

I sighed, slowly sauntering out of the weapon's room and finding my way back to Nod's. He was still asleep, and looking much better than he had been. I smiled sadly and sat down on the side of the bed next to him, grabbing his hand.

"Nod... What do I do?"

The idea of asking him whether or not I should go fight an extremely powerful and deadly dictator with supernatural abilities made me laugh. I imagined what the Leafman's reaction would be if he were actually conscious to answer. He'd probably go into some rage-filled rant about how it was the stupidest idea in the history of the world, and how there was no way in hell it was going to happen...

I suddenly felt my eyes stinging. It didn't matter if it was dangerous. The Willhollow soldiers and Leafmen were both putting themselves in danger right now, because of me. What kind of Lady of Destiny would I be if I just let these people die in vain...?

"You're going to go aren't you." I suddenly jumped, turning my head rapidly. Aaron was standing the doorway, hand resting against the frame. I stared at him, wide-eyed, not sure what to say. I suppose I _had_ made my delicious, but still...

Aaron sighed, drawing me out of my thought, and strolled into the room. "Prince Tarren requested for me to keep an eye on you, and make _certain _that you didn't try and run after them..."

I huffed. "Sir... You're the Prophet of Willhollow for Pete's sake! You have to understand! This... This _is_ my destiny."

"This _can _be your destiny." Aaron corrected sternly, causing my eyebrows to furrow. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, perhaps it was prophesized centuries ago that you would come and save Willhollow in it's darkest hour, but that does _not _define you. You're fate is not written in stone child, it is your own. This prophecy is only a roadmap, a path that you can _choose _to take or not."

I looked down, processing this for a moment, and then looked up to meet Aaron's eyes. "I won't desert these people."

Aaron nodded. "Then I will not stop you... But I will give you one warning Milady... If you go now to face Oren, legend says you will not survive."

My breath hitched. "Wait...what? What do you mean...?"

Aaron sighed. "The prophecy, the original written account from the first great prophet of Willhollow, stated that the Lady of Destiny would not only come to save Willhollow, but to sacrifice her life for it, just as she had done before. Oren warped this tale to make you give up your previous life for a life here in Willhollow, but child... If you go now, it is highly unlikely that you will ever return..."

I felt the air escaping my lips in shallow, ragged breaths as I plopped down into my chair. So... no matter what I did now, I wasn't going to live...

Then what did it matter anyways? I could sit here and waste away while Tarren and Ronin and their soldiers died, or I could face Oren and save countless lives.

I shook my head. "It's still my duty Aaron... I'm sorry."

I saw the prophet's face fall for a moment, but he regained his composure quickly.

"As you wish, milady. I will not interfere." Then, he reached his hand out to mine, and I shook it. "It has been a honor knowing you, Mary Katherine the Lady of Destiny. Your name will go down in legends to come..."

Then, just like that, Aaron turned and fled through the door, leaving me alone in the room. Suddenly, I heard Nod whimper, and roll over slightly, his hand falling on mine, which was resting beside him.

"M...MK..." He mumbled in his sleep. "S-stay... with me..."

I suddenly felt a tear slide down my cheek and land on my lap. Had he heard what has just been said? I could see that he was fast asleep, but his faced squinted in pain as his fingers clutched mine, silently begging me to stay.

If I left now... I would never see Nod again.

I considered waking him for a moment, just to say goodbye, but thought better of it. If I woke him up and told him what I planned to do, he'd never let me go... I couldn't just leave without saying goodbye though! I mean... this was _it..._

...Suddenly it hit me. I searched the room for paper and something to write with. There was a inkwell pen on the table of medicines, but no unused paper. I eventually grabbed an already used paper with some herbal recipe scrawled on it, and simply wrote my goodbyes on the back.

I hadn't realized I'd begun crying until a teardrop fell onto my inked name, blurring the K slightly. Taking a deep breath and sucking back the emotion, I folded the paper and tucked the letter under Nod's hand. Then, I leaned down and placed one last goodbye kiss on his forehead, before slowly walking out of the room.

I went to the weapon's room and grabbed a bow and sheath of arrows, which was the only thing I really knew how to use. I still had the knife Nod had given me as well. It'd be comforting to have that with me during my final moments...

It was strange. Death of course is something that every man will have to face eventually, but the idea that it was happening _now, _that I _knew..._It was strange to say the least, and scary.

The one thing that bothered me the most though, was the idea that Nod wouldn't be with me when I left. It hurt me to think of how much I'd be hurting him, when he awoke and read that letter... But this was something I had to do. For everyone.

Once Oren completely conquered Willhollow, what would be able to stop him from moving on to Moonhaven, or any other place in the forest?

A sudden, horrid thought came to mind. Moonhaven was where Nim Galuu and the Queen kept the magic elixirs that let me grow and shrink as I pleased. If Oren got a hold of _those_, he could make himself, and his entire army the size of a stomper.

He could take over _my_ world as well.

I began moving at a faster pace. I couldn't let this happen. Not my home. Not my dad...

"_Whatever you end up doing, I just want to make sure that you're happy. That's all I want you to do. Be happy."_

I sighed. The only way I was going to be happy now was when I knew all the people I cared about were safe...

Suddenly, as I passed by Nod's room one last time, I heard a sob from inside. Peeking in, I found Jenni hiding under the table, knees pulled up to her chest, crying like there was no tomorrow. I rushed inside; surprised the sound hadn't woken Nod. He did sleep like a grizzly bear in hibernation though...

"Awww Jenni, what's the matter baby?" I cooed, trying to comfort the crying child. She looked up, and suddenly lunged at me, arms clasping around my neck like she was grasping onto life itself.

"OH MARY KATHERINE, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US!" She cried into my shoulder. Oh, so _that _was what this was about. I probably should've known. I sat down cross-legged and rocked her back and forth in my arms.

"Jenni I'm sorry but I have to go. I'm the only one who can stop Oren from blowing the entire meadow to pieces. I _have _to do this..."

"B-But you don't really!" Jenni said, looking up at me with tear-stained cheeks and a red nose. "You could let Tarren and the soldiers fight Oren, and you could stay here with us until Nod gets better. Then you could go home and live happily ever after. You don't _have_ to die Mary Katherine _oh please don't leave us!"_

Then she threw herself back into my arms, and I couldn't speak. For a moment, this idea of leaving and running away with Nod seemed like a dream made real. I envisioned staying with him in Moonhaven, living amongst the flower people and the great trees above and rivers below. I imagined being _happy,_ and living for a long long time...

But the more time I wasted here thinking, the more chance Tarren and his men had of getting hurt out there. If I was ever going to be happy... then I had to do what was right, and I had to think of something to calm Jenni down fast...

Suddenly, it hit me. "Jenni... Do you want to know how I got out of Willhollow after Oren took my powers away?"

This new idea lessened the child's sobs, and she looked up curiously, sniffling and wiping her nose with her finger. "How?"

I smiled sadly. "I got help from a very special person, someone who stayed behind to fight so I could escape to the bunker. Jenni... that person was your mom."

The princess's eyes widened, moth slightly agape, as she stuttered a reply. "B-B-But my mom... She died... She couldn't _possibly..."_

"She didn't die Jenni, she was poisoned, just like you were. Oren cured her, and locked her in the same dungeon where you found me. Jenni she's still trapped in Willhollow, and the only way she's going to escape is if I can stop Oren..."

Jenni looked down, lips quivered, and I lifted her chin up with my finger. "You have to let me go Jenni..."

Jenni's tears began again as she gave me one last hug. "Goodbye Mary Katherine... I promise, I'm always going to remember you. Always..."

"Goodbye Jenorra... Look after Nod for me please. Tell him... Tell him I'm sorry..."

"I will,"

With that, I took my things, and snuck out, leaving my previous life behind. Before I got a bird and took off however, I whispered goodbye to my Leafman once more, praying he'd find it somewhere in his heart to forgive me...

_(Nod's POV)_

Ughh... aww why was my head pounding? Where was I? Was I dead yet? Had that hideous poison finally gotten the better of me_?_

I groaned as my stiff eyes cracked open. There was no way I could be dead. Death couldn't be nearly this uncomfortable. I looked around the distorted room, still pretty disoriented from sleep, my body feeling sore and stiff.

Once my vision began clearing, I could see that I was in a fairly simply room, with stone walls and stone tiled floors. My bed was a simple cot, with a warm cotton blanket, and there was a table across the room from me, covered corner to corner with all sorts of vials filled with different colored liquids.

"Ugh... Where the heck is this place?" I muttered, my voice feeling tight, and throat dry. I guess that was simply the aftermath of being poisoned. I tried to sit up, but got pretty dizzy and nearly fell, knocking a chair over.

"Shit..." I muttered, sitting back down, and hoping no one heard. The last thing I needed was MK or someone else seeing me like this and...wait...

_MK!  
_

My eyes suddenly widened. I had _seen_ her! I remembered, seeing her in this room, hearing her voice! I'd still been ditzy from the poison dart, but I had distinctly remembered her being there, comforting me and telling me we were gonna be okay...

Where was she now?!

I tried standing up again, but I guess the blood hadn't been circulating enough, because my vision immediately started going black, and I fell back down into a sitting position, placing my forehead in my hands. "Ugh..."

Suddenly, something I hadn't known was there slipped from my fingers, and I reached down to pick up a wrinkly, folded piece of paper. I looked at the front of it, and it had some sort of medicine recipe on it. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why did I have this?

Getting that bad gut feeling once more, I unfolded the piece of paper and began reading what was obviously her handwriting, and was also obviously rushed. She hadn't had much time...

"No..." I muttered when I finished, feeling the paper fall form my fingers. "No _NO __**NO!" **_

Suddenly I jumped up from my place on the bed and rushed out of the room. I needed to find a bird and my sword and find Willhollow and... and... and oh god let me not be too late!

I had already thought Mary Katherine dead once, and I was _not _prepared to go through that kind of pain again. I had promised not to let Oren hurt her and that was _not _a promise I was planning to break anytime soon.

"Please MK... _Please _just hang in there, okay?" I whispered to no one as I ran. "I'm coming for you..."

_Nod,_

_I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish we'd had more time. Tarren's heading for Willhollow with his men, and I have to stop Oren before he kills them, and destroys the forest. According to the prophecy though, if I am to save Willhollow...I have to sacrifice my life to do it. _

_I wish there was something else I could do, but I__** can't**__ abandon these people to Oren. Think of what he'll do to them? Think of what he'll do to__** Moonhaven**__, or __**my **__world if he gets that far? I won't let him do that, even if I have to die to stop him._

_By the time you read this, I'll have already left. I __**may**__ already be gone. If this is the case, then please tell everyone in Moonhaven, the queen especially, that they're incredible and that it was an honor to have known them. Tell my dad that I love him, and I'm __**so **__sorry. Tell him that I __**was **__happy, because I knew I was taking care of him, of everyone._

_And please, __**please **__don't do anything stupid or reckless. Don't confront Tarren or Willhollow. He tried to stop me, but this is something I __**have**__ to do. I hope you'll understand that one day..._

_I love you Nod. I always have and always will. No matter what I say or do, or whatever happens to me, that will __**never **__change. Hold onto that, and please try and be happy without me. Wouldn't you want me to do the same?_

_Goodbye, Nod. I love you more than life itself, and I'm sorry. Forgive me someday._

_Mary Katherine._

* * *

**T_T And with that I begin an evening of emotions and story writing. If you'll excuse me, I need to go find my iPod and get prepared to stay up until 3am writing XDD. I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow, I promise. No more elongated breaks.**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	39. I'm Still Here

_**IMPORTANT!: PLEASE READ!**_

**So... I forgot to stress this, and I figure I need to now, because...**

_**We're coming close to the end of "I Do Believe in Leafmen."**_

**Crying would be the appropriate response T_T**

**No, we have at **_**most, **_**five chapters left, including these, and I might be cutting some due to their lack of quality. It all depends on how quickly and accurately I can improve them, but... Yet.**

**Also I haven't nearly stressed the importance of **_**this **_**chapter. Cause... It's a big chapter. I mean BIG chapter...**

**So yeah, Enjoy! If you can...**

* * *

**Chapter 39:**

**I'm Still Here**

_(MK's POV)_

My bird glided silently across the meadow, flying as low to the ground as it could to avoid drawing attention to us. As I began nearing the base of the tree however, I could hear shouting and war cries, and could see little specks of people fighting each other in the air, their wings buzzing like a fly's.

I carefully sailed around the back and up, glad that the dark feathers of my bird were shielding us beneath the cover of night. It appeared like most of Oren's men had been placed at the front sides to keep the Willhollow soldiers and Leafmen from entering the city.

As I landed near the back of the tree, and cautiously entered through the back doorway, I found the entire city in darkness, and not a sound could be heard, besides the soft creaking of wood, and rush of wind through the hollow tree.

Where were the guards? You'd think at least a _few _of them would be watching the people in the city, making sure they didn't escape. Of course those men might have been the ones outside, occupied by the oncoming soldiers. Still... something felt wrong.

I didn't have time to hesitate however, because I could hear the sounds of fighting outside growing closer, and began running up the steps. As I passed the houses and shops, which all appeared abandoned now, I noticed that they all looked slightly beaten down. Some even had black burn marks on them, and shattered windows. What had Oren been doing to these people, to this city...?

As I neared the entrance to the castle grounds, I still saw no guards, which seemed extremely wrong to me. Aaron had said my powers hadn't completely settled yet, leaving the captain slightly vulnerable. You'd think he'd have doubled his guard...

Yet, when I peeked around the corner towards the castle grounds, I still couldn't spot a single person. I took a deep breath. Something was _extremely _not right here...

I quietly crept from the cover of the arch, and surveyed the area. I still couldn't find a single soldier anywhere, and as I moved forward, my imagination began getting the better of me. When the leaves rustled, I swore I could see black figures swooshing by, hear the sickening laughs of the man trying to kill me. The very wind seemed to whisper as it whistled by. _He's coming. He's close._

I suddenly heard a loud crash, like a gate slamming shut, and jumped like a rabbit, turning quickly around, knife drawn. In that particular moment, I was greatly dreading not having grabbed a sword. Pff, not like I'd have been able to even hold it anyways...

The crash had come from pretty high up in the tree, and before me, I could see a long staircase winding up. I could feel my heart drop to my stomach.

Queen Rheina's garden

Of course that's where he'd be. I should've _guessed_ it as the first place he'd be waiting for me. I mean, it was just so perfectly appropriate for a twisted-mind like his. What was a better place for a psychopath dictator of Willhollow to kill his enemy than the garden of the royal family he'd stolen the kingdom from?

Still... I knew this wasn't going to end until only one of us was left standing...

Of course that wasn't entirely true. The prophecy said I was losing my life no matter what. Question was whether I was dragging Oren down with me or not...

As I began mounting the steps, I thought about what Aaron had said. _You're fate is not written in stone child..._

My death was though, now that I had chosen it. I knew that though. If I faced Oren, _even _if I stopped him from taking down Willhollow, I was still going to be giving up my life to do so, and I had accepted that... theoretically.

In al honesty, I thought I was going to hurl. I had literally never been so terrified about anything in my entire life. Suddenly, the idea of just running away with Nod and leaving this all behind didn't seem so bad...

...No. I could _not _abandon these people that depended on me so. They believed I was the one who could save Willhollow. Isabelle had _died _believing in me. How could I just run from it all? How would I live with myself? I would not just disappear, and let Isabelle's death be in vain.

Still, if I was going, I was not going alone. I was taking this monster with me. His reign of terror would only cause the destruction of the forest, if not the planet itself.

No, I decided. I was not going alone.

It didn't take long to reach the top of the staircase. The same block of brush and branches blocked my way, and I pushed back just enough to peek in.

The place _looked_ the same as it had when Tarren had brought me up. The greenery appeared untouched, and just as beautiful, but there was something different now. A silence, like the flowers had been scared silent. There was also darkness, and the air had a chill to it. This was no longer the beautiful garden I had seen before. This was an cruel, cold place, meant to become my open tomb..

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I stepped forward and began moving slowly through the garden. My heart was pounding, and I tried not to make any sudden movements, which was hard because whenever I heard so much as a gust of wind rustled the leaves, my heart would drop to my toes.

And why wouldn't it? It recognized the fact that it was beating it's last...

I though of Nod... I hoped he'd be okay...I mean, would _I_ be okay if _he_ died...?

I cut the thought off before it grew. This wasn't just about me and Nod. This was about the lives of all those in Willhollow, in the entire forest. He had to understand that...

I stopped for a moment, trying to hold back tears that were fighting to surface, when suddenly I heard a sickeningly amused laugh from behind me, and flashed around.

Standing there, smiling devilishly at me, was Oren. For a moment I thought he was holding a bloody knife, but I quickly realized it was simply a blood red flower, similar to a rose. It's light was flickering out, but I swore I could hear those little flower voices silently screaming. _Run._

As much as I was shaking, and fighting the urge to back away, I refused to run. I had to face my choice, now that I had made it...

"Well, well, well." The psychopath cackled. "Looks like the prince got scared and sent the little rabbit as a peace offering. I'm afraid I'll have to deny that request, but I don't mind taking the prize nonetheless."

It was then I took a step back, and drew my knife, now _really _wishing I had grabbed a sword. "Tarren doesn't know I'm here..."

To this Oren laughed out loud, causing me to jump, the tension in my body growing along with that feeling of nausea. "Oh so you planned to play the _noble sacrifice_ is that it?"

I replied confidently, though I was still backing away. "I came here to stop you from destroying the rest of Willhollow."

Oren disappeared behind another turn, but I could still hear his voice echoing throughout the now cold garden. "You ridiculous child... Can't you see? I'm not going to _destroy _it. I'm going to _**mold**_ Willhollow into the greatest super power that this feeble forest has ever seen! We'll have more strength than the Leafmen, or even the Boggans ever did!"

Then suddenly, his voice whispered behind me, and though he was a ways back when I turned, it had felt like he'd whispered it right in my ear. "I'm going to save this place... and I'm going to use your life to do it."

"You already have my powers!" I retorted. "I don't see why you need to kill me as well..." And then suddenly something clicked. "...But then, you _don't _have all my power, do you."

Despite the slight distance, He was close enough for me to see a slight twitch of discomfort in his eyes. This confirmed it. "Your hiding up in this castle, and not just coming after us, it's because you're afraid of me."

"You idiotic little brat, what would you possibly have that could scare me now? I took your powers."

"But not all of them." I stated, causing him to lose his words. "There was _something_ that stopped you from taking all of it. That's why I'm still alive. I still have a little power left, which is apparently enough to scare you into hiding."

This made his face go slightly red with anger, which immediately told me I was striking a nerve. "If you think that I would be _scared_ of some _pathetic little __**brat...**_then you have another thing coming my dear."

Suddenly, with such sudden ferocity I could hardly blink before he reached me, his wings had suddenly come to life, and sent his straight to me, sword aiming for my heart. Taken my surprise, I swung my knife to block his blow, but he still slit my upper arm, causing me to stumble to the ground, my wound dripping blood.

"Still think you're so powerful _Lady of Destiny?" _he mocked, as I picked myself up off the ground, feeling a loss of confidence with every drop of blood that oozed from the gash in my arm. I held the wound with my other hand to try and stop the bleeding, but suddenly the man was there again, slashing at my leg, and getting a pretty good slice there.

As I yelled from the pain, he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me up into the air, and flew us off the ground. My knife fell from my grasp and tumbled past the leaves to the ground below, and I heard Oren's sick voice in my ear.

"You know, I was planning to just get rid of you up here, but I figure that'd be too fast. Why don't we go make a show of it for your friends down there?" And he began soaring closer to the ground, where the fighting was.

We landed on a balcony outside the tree, and I grunted as we hit the floor, and he wrapped his arm around my neck in a choke hold, sword held to my throat.

"Too bad your little boyfriend won't be here to see this. I would've so liked to see the look on his face. It'd make killing him after you _that _much more humorous."

I jerked from the man's grip, gritting my teeth. "If you hurt him again, I am going to _personally _rip your head off."

Oren's arm tightened around my throat slightly, causing me to wince. "And how are you planning to manage that princess, hm? It'll be a little difficult once you're _dead._"

I growled trying to jerk away again. Oren's lifted his sword. "Time to say goodnight for good my dear."

I began scrambling; trying desperately to free myself, but it was impossible. As I closed my eyes, awaiting death, I thought of Willhollow, and the fact that I was leaving it to die. I thought of Tarren, who didn't even know I was here and about to be murdered by the man that had been so close to him...

I thought of Nod, who was probably still in that horrible comatose state that I had let Oren put him in. I thought him reading that letter I had left...

I was about to whispered that I was sorry before Oren ended my life, when I suddenly heard a loud cry.

"OREN!" The voice called, a voice that was impossibly, but equally incredibly, familiar.

"Nod?!" I screamed, and could no doubt see the humming bird flitting towards us, and the rider on it was undoubtedly my boyfriend, considering the velocity and agility of his flight patterns. Oren's shock at the sight was the leafman was just what I needed to rip myself from the man's grasp.

I tore out of his hold around my neck, and burst towards the edge of the balcony, leaping off the edge towards the approaching bird. It wasn't until then that I realized I wasn't going to reach that far.

I screamed as I began plummeting to the ground, but I suddenly saw Nod leap off the bird, towards me, and wrap his arms around me, turning his back towards the ground as we fell.

We landed on the ground very ungracefully, tumbling into the meadow floor, and getting scratched, but at least we weren't dead. I groaned as I sat my grass-stained form up from the ground, holding my head for a moment. I then recognized a metal weapon on the ground as the knifed I'd dropped and quickly sheathed it.

Suddenly, I remembered Nod, and jumped up, but I had barely gotten upright when he nearly knocked me over again by wrapping his arms around me like a vice; like he was afraid I'd be blown away by the breeze if he let go.

I sighed, knowing I was about to get yelled at for being so stupid and "trying to get myself killed" and whatnot, but instead, he just kept holding me. I grabbed his arms in a feeble attempt to get him to let go, but he just held me tighter.

"Never..." He mumbled as he held me tighter still. I closed my eyes, trying to fight back tears, as he muttered the same word over and over again. _Never, never, never._

"Nod please-" I began, but he suddenly let me go and held my face between his hands, forcing me to stare into his utterly horror-stricken, terrified eyes. "Don't you _ever _think of leaving me again, okay?! _**Never!"**_

"N-Nod..." I whispered, not sure what to say. He simply pulled my face close to his, so close I could feel his ragged breath on my face. "MK I am _not _making the mistake of leaving you again... so don't you even _try _leaving me..."

I bit down on my lip, trying to fight back the urge to kiss him, to stay there in his arms. This wasn't about us anymore. It _couldn't _just be about us. There was too much at stake...

I curled back from his hold, whispered in a hoarse voice. "Nod I wish I could promise you that, but I _have_ to stop this man,_ even_ if it means not making it out ali-"

"_NO DAMNIT!" _He growled, his voice filled with agony and fear as he jumped back to me, capturing my lips in his. One arm snaked around my waist, while the other hand held the base of my neck. He mumbled against my lips. "No, no, no, no..."

I pulled against his arms, but they were unrelenting in their hold as much as I tried to wriggle away. I couldn't... we couldn't...

Finally, the warmth of his kiss made me forget everything. It made me forget Tarren, and Oren, Queen Rheina and Jenni, Willhollow and Moonhaven, and everything. I only saw Nod and myself, living out this final, solitary moment of us...

"Well isn't that just precious?" I heard Oren's voice as he landed before us, corning us against the tree. Nod pushed me behind him, sword drawn, guarding me.

"Nod stop." I said, holding onto his shoulder. "This isn't your fight. I'm the one who has to-"

He turned his head back to me, and stated seriously. "I'm _not _letting you do that."

"God I think I'm gonna hurl." Oren said humorously, causing me to narrow my eyes. "Yes I'm getting a little bored with this pointless banter so umm you're free to go my boy."

Suddenly, the former captain slammed his foot against the forest floor, and a quake-like crack shot through the ground, blasting us both in different directions. Oren then flicked his fingers towards Nod, and vines shot down from the trees, tethering him to the ground.

"Well, I do believe I'm getting the hang of these powers." He said, inspecting his hand as though wearing jewelry upon it. Then his gaze suddenly shot towards me, and so did his hand. Another set of vines shot towards me, but I was able to somersault away and evade them. I smirked. "Oh really now?"

This angered the man and he charged. I ran towards Nod but he was there in seconds, knocking me away and causing to tumble into the base of the tree.

"MK!" Nod shouted, fighting against the vines, but they didn't waver.

I groaned as I picked myself up, and jumped out of the way as Oren drove his sword at me again, driving it deeply into the tree trunk. I stumbled into a doorway in the tree and began running, heading into the center of the tree. I turned to see how close Oren was behind me, but there was no one there...

Oh no. Nod was still out there. Had Oren gone after him?! My stomach suddenly flipping in terror and I burst into a run back towards the doorway when I suddenly felt someone grab the back of my jacket and pull me back. I was then hurled across the open grassed area of the tree, and slammed to the ground, rolling to a halt upon the grassy earth. I was certain I must've broken something with that brutal of a fall.

I groaned, and winced as I tried to rise. Yes, there was definitely something at least sprained in my leg. Suddenly Oren grabbed me once more, and thrust me into the air, before carrying me to another larger, but lower balcony. It was really more like a stage it was so close to the outside grass, a staircase curling around from the left to the ground. It was the perfect place to make a show of my death...

The perfect place for Nod to watch...

I could see the fighting going on below, and it didn't look good for our guys. I could hardly focus on that though. Not with Oren suddenly throwing me to the ground and raising his sword to stab down into my heart.

Grabbing my knife, I tried to block the sword, but he simply knocked it away with his larger weapon, as though it were only a mere annoyance. He raised the sword once more, and in a last minute thought, I swiped my leg into his, knocking him out from under his feet.

The sword slid to one side, almost sliding off the rail-less stage. I jumped towards it, and wielded the heavy thing. This was my chance to finish him off. I turned around lifted it to bring down on the man, but Oren was already there, and, quick as a bolt of lightning, sunk something cold and metallic into the left side of my stomach.

I gasped, feeling a strange sensation of electricity run up my torso, causing my entire form to buzz. The metal weapon in me felt icy cold and white-hot at the exact same time, and it made my entire body limp and tense simultaneously.

I gasped again as Oren spun me around to face the battle going on below, his right arm wrapped around me holding the knife in place, and the other holding my face to force my gaze upon the battle.

I feel back against the man, legs feeling like gelatin. The ice feeling disappeared entirely, making room for the burning pain to erupt. I screamed in agony, and heard someone shouting my name. My head was going a little fuzzy though. I couldn't make out the voice.

"Well, I guess this is where it ends Milady." Oren cackled, twisting the the knife. I screamed louder, pain blasting through my body. My knees nearly collapsed, but Oren held me up, and grabbed my face with the other hand that wasn't wrapped around me, facing me towards the fight.

"Why don't we enjoy your final moments watching your friends die? What do you think? Hey, maybe I'll kill your boyfriend before he has to see your corpse. Would that make you happy?"

I closed my eyes, unable to threaten him. What could I say anyways? _I _was the one bleeding out.

"You know, I'll admit it. I _was _afraid of you for split second there. Though now I can't understand _why._ You were _always _just a pathetic little brat. You could never have stopped me from winning this kingdom..."

I don't know how I managed it, with an obviously fatal wound in my side, but somehow, I was able to utter a soft laugh.

"What on earth could you be laughing about? You, and all the people you care about are about to _**die**_." He said, almost irritated with my laugh. However, even with the searing pain of the knife, I felt at peace, because I knew that I was not going to go alone.

I felt warmth rising up in me, despite my body going cold with loss of blood. I felt energy, like the powers of the Lady of Destiny were...rejuvenating themselves. I wrapped my fragile fingers around the blade in my side, and yanked it out, wincing as the pain intensified. I was dead anyways though. It made no difference.

I turned around to the man, who was now holding me by the arms, and I spoke in a voice so serene it was almost scary.

"Don't you get it, Oren? You didn't win. I'm still here, and I'm not letting you hurt _anyone_ else."

Oren smiled gruesomely, and was about to speak once more, but I cut him off. "She missed you ya know."

Despite not having mentioned a name, I saw the color drain from the man's face. I wondered if that was how pale I looked for a moment. "I... I don't know what you mean..."

"Isabelle..." I said, feeling a sadness wash over me, almost deluding the pain for a moment. "She said that not a day went by that she wish you hadn't left. She saw good in you Oren... I wish she'd been right."

Oren turned his tight hands around my arm, burning the skin. I cried out. "You are about to _die, _girl. I wouldn't be running your mouth like that, considering the weak state you're in."

Then he tightened his grip on my arms, and whispered in a sneer. "Of course... you were weak anyways..."

I took a deep, struggling breath. "I am _not _weak, I am _not_ just a little girl, and I'm _not _just the Lady of Destiny."

Suddenly, I tore my hand from his grip and grabbed his shoulder, sinking my nails in. Golden sparks of electricity shot from them, searing into Oren's flesh.

"AAGH!" His voice echoed, but he couldn't break away. My hold was too strong. I continued holding, using that rise of power to weaken him.

"NO!" He shouted, his voice thick with pain. "THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"

He then grabbed my shoulder and starred with shocked, and scared eyes. "I took your power away. You couldn't be the Lady of Destiny anymore. You were _nothing!"_

I smiled, feeling a strange sense of false peace. "That's what you don't get. I'm not _just_ the Lady of Destiny." Then I leaned in, and whispered in his ear. "I'm Mary Katherine, the Stomper, and I am _not _the girl you should've messed with."

With those final words, I blasted his shoulder with a burst of gold more powerful than I'd ever mustered before, and he shouted a last cry, before falling backwards, unconscious, and unable to use his powers any longer. I had deactivated them, giving Tarren and the others the chance to overtake him. Without their leader, the dark soldiers would be powerless.

I had saved Willhollow...

I sighed. I had done it. I had fulfilled my destiny... It was strange. I had always believed destiny was just a door to the rest of your life. I never thought it would be the path towards the end of it...

"MARY KATHERINE!" I suddenly heard the voice of Nod, and I turned towards him. He was mounting the stairs and stopped at the top, taking in the sight of Oren's collapsed body. Then he looked up at me, eyes confused and concerned, and I smiled weakly, feeling the pain washing me under an ocean as my legs collapsed.

As I fell to the ground, the world disappearing from vision, I mumbled one last thing to the Leafman I had fallen in love with, and would've loved to spend the rest of my life with.

_Goodbye._

* * *

**...Yeah...Yeah I **_**know. **_**I promised it was gonna be okay, and I **_**SWEAR **_**it **_**will**_** be. Just... Yeah, just don't kill yourselves or **_**me **_**until tomorrow's update. Then you're free to whatever you want as long as it doesn't break the law.**

**Until then...**

**~Macy**


	40. I Hate You

**Well... this is pretty much the chapter I've been waiting the **_**entire **_**story to post. This one is pretty interesting because I had actually been working on another story the night I wrote it, and at like 2 in the morning I suddenly got the powerful urge to write chapter 40, which I hadn't even started.**

**I was finished with it around 6 in the **_**fucking **_**morning. Like literally the sun was **_**rising **_**by the time I went to sleep, and apparently, **_**that's **_**the time of night that you wanna be writing because this might easily be the most emotionally loaded chapter I have **_**EVER **_**written. Like EVER.**

**SO yeah, I'm so thankful to you guys for reading this story, and I hope you like chapter 40! (****P.S. My advice is to read this chapter while listening to My Heart Will Go On by Céline Dion because it kinda adds to the emotional mood perfectly. In my opinion.****)**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 40:**

**I Hate You.**

_(Nod's POV)_

I struggled against the vines strapping me down, desperate to get to MK before that psychopath did. He was _not _going to take her away from me. Not again...

I watched MK disappear into the Willhollow tree, and Oren after her. Terror was rising back into my chest. Every minute that I was stuck in this stupid nature net, was another minute that Oren could be hurting her...

I pulled at the vines again, hoping I could loosen them a little, but they were firmly stuck. It was strange, but their hold almost felt...reluctant, as though the vines had a consciousness of their own, that told them this was wrong, but they had no choice...

Suddenly, I was thrown from my thoughts when I heard a loud yell from behind me, and saw Ronin lunging at one of Oren's men. The man was at a slight advantage considering he could fly, but Ronin was so skilled it only took moments for the general to slash him down.

"Ronin! _Ronin!" _I shouted, feeling rather pathetic for having to call for help. Ronin looked in my direction and called my name. Before I knew it, he was at my side, cutting the ties that held me in place.

"What happened to you?" The Leafman asked as he cut away. "I thought you were still asleep at the bunker?"

"I woke up." I stated obviously. "Then I found a note Mk left. Ronin, she snuck out here to take on Oren. She said something about it being her destiny to save Willhollow, and... sacrifice her life to do it..."

Ronin looked up, eyes wide with worry.

"Exactly!" I said

"Where is she now?" He said as he cut the last vine, freeing me. Did Oren...?"

"No!" I shouted, probably a little too anxiously. "He's close though. We need to find him now!"

I then burst into the Willhollow Tree, but saw no sign of either of them. I was about to run out and look more when I saw a flutter of wings, soaring towards a doorway high above, with no staircase to it from the inside. Groaning, I ran back outside to see if there was another way in.

Outside I found even more soldiers, and jumped back as one of the enemy men lunged at me, I ducked below his strike and kicked him out from under his feet, taking his sword and proceeding to join the fight.

We were pretty evenly matched, but the other men seemed more skilled. Almost strangely so. I wondered if Oren had somehow used MK's power to enhance their abilities...?

I didn't have much time to think about this though, because suddenly another man was bringing his sword down on me. Groaning, I bashed it away with my own and kicked him out of my way. I did have time to go all warrior status. I had to find Mary Katherine...

As I rushed through the crowd, knocking past soldiers, friend and foe alike, and was about to make a beeline for the tree, when I caught sight of muddied blonde hair. It was Fairy Boy, getting his butt whooped by a guy twice his size. I don't know why my conscious was nagging for me to help _him _of all people, but I didn't stand around long.

As the man knocked Tarren to the ground and was about to drive a sword through him, I jammed mine through his back. The guy choked a bit, spurting out blood, before collapsing to the ground.

Tarren was gasping for breath, and stared at me almost as if with awe.

"How... H-how did you...?"

"I don't like playing dead for long..." I muttered, before grabbing the moron by the front of his shirt. "Where'd Oren go?!"

The prince's eyes went wide with shock. "I-I don't know I just-"

"How could you be so stupid as to let MK come down here and almost get killed?!" I shouted, suddenly feeling an anger rise in me. As much as I hated the guy, I thought I could've trusted him to keep her from trying to go on a suicide mission for _five_ minutes!

Tarren seemed completely taken aback by the news. "What do you mean she's here?!"

"I mean I woke up and found a note saying that she was coming to take on Oren, to save _your_ sorry ass, so you'd _better _find her now!"

Tarren staggered back, looking around frantically, when suddenly he looked up. "There!" He said, pointing towards the tree.

I looked up and followed the direction of his point. I could make out two figures on a balcony. It was probably where Oren had taken her earlier. Suddenly, Mary Katherine's agonized scream could distinctly be heard echoing over the roar of battle, and I was suddenly bolting for the tree, shouting her name.

As I got to the base of the stairs, there was suddenly a bright blast of energy, so powerful that it caused a tremor of energy waves that rustled the leave of the Willhollow tree and blew back the soldier below, freezing them in place.

"MK!" I shouted worriedly, afraid Oren had just hit her. I reached the top in record time.

I slowed when I got to the top. Before me stood MK, back towards me, staring down at Ore, who was unconscious on the floor. There was a pool of blood on the ground. Had MK stabbed him or something? I couldn't even imagine her doing something like that...

Then, she slowly turned to me, her face ghostly pale, and smiled a sleepy, peaceful smile. I immediately tensed. What was going on?

"...MK?" I whispered, worriedly.

Suddenly, the girl's knees gave out, and she collapsed to the bloodied floor.

"MK!" I shouted, falling to my knees to catch her. As I lowered her to the ground, I saw the front of her jacket cut in one place, and blood was steadily oozing from the gash that was now embedded in her torso. My own blood froze in my veins.

"Oh my god... no... _NO!" _I all but screamed cradling her upper body in my arms, trying to use her jacket to suppress the bleeding. Her head rolled away a bit, eyelids fluttering, and I held her cheek to bring her gaze back to me.

"MK... MK look at me okay?! Just... oh god, _please_ don't do this! You can't..."

I couldn't even speak, and began yelling for the Leafman general. "Oh my god, Ronin! _Ronin!_"My voice cracked on the last word.

The sound of my voice must've registered, because her heavy eyes fluttered open a bit, and she looked up at me. "N...Nod...?" She croaked out, her voice thick and hoarse. I did my best to smile reassuringly.

"Yes, yes I'm right here. That's right just... Just focus on me, okay? Just focus on my voice..."

"I'm tired though..." She muttered softly, her head starting to lean to the side. I pulled it back to me.

"_NO_ okay?! NO! You are _not _leaving me now!"

She looked up at me, and suddenly her eyes widened, and her weak voice grew. "Nod, look out!"

I looked up, and saw Oren, now covered in MK's blood, rising from the ground, sword in hand. He seemed shaky and weak. MK must've taken the powers from him or something. Either way, he was armed and ready to kill us, and I had dropped my sword a ways away.

Oren, a hideously wild look in his eyes, smiled devilishly. "I've had about enough of BOTH of you! It's time to finish this..."

Then he lifted the sword up, and let out a horrible war cry. I leaned over MK, clutching her to my chest and shielding her with my own body, praying he wouldn't hurt her anymore. I suddenly heard a whirring sound, and Oren's yell. I looked up to see an arrow embedded in his chest, right at his heard.

He staggered back, but didn't fall, and lifted his sword clumsily to try and hit us again. The person who shot the arrow jumped forward, and drove his sword into the Captain's chest. Oren doubled over, blood sputtering from his lips. I looked up to see Tarren was the one who had finished him, and then looked back at Oren.

The man, hollow-eyed and pale as a ghost, fell to his knees, and tumbled to the side, exhaling his last breath. Before he did however, I heard him mumble his last words, blood trailing down his lip.

"_And thus, by Leaf and Root, the Rot of the Heart shalt be expelled of the tree, and by timely falling of the Leaf, it shalt be returned that which hath been buried beneath the earth..."_

It had to be part of the prophecy. I didn't understand it all, but I could only guess who the "Leaf" was referring to...

MK's began coughing, a few specks of blood flying off her lips, and I held her up. She groaned in pain however, so I settled her back down. Ronin had appeared and looked horrified. Finally, I understood what he must've felt when Tara died...

Tarren kneeled in the other side of MK, breath catching in his throat. He said nothing though, and I cradled her closer.

"Mary Katherine...? oh my god MK _please _still be here... _**please **_don't leave me yet..." I whispered, afraid if I raised my voice, it would upset her. However, she fought to keep her eyes open, and her quaking hand grasped onto my arm.

"E-Everyone's okay, r-right...? _You're_ okay?"

I smile, thought it felt more like a grimace. "Yes, yes... Everyone's okay... You're gonna be okay too! That doctor guy will be here in no time, and he'll... He'll fix you right up, like he did me..."" I said, trying to convince myself of the same thing. She was still bleeding heavily, despite Tarren having torn pieces of his coat to try and suppress it. Still, I told myself it was okay.

She turned to Tarren. "Is... is Oren...?"

Tarren nodded, smiling sadly. "Yes, Oren's gone now... We fulfilled the prophecy Mary Katherine. We saved Willhollow.

She smiled wider. "That's good... at least I'm l-leaving with W-Willhollow taken care of..."

"MK, stop _talking _like that!" I said, probably too harshly. I just couldn't stand it. I was _not _letting her give up. She just kept smiling at me, like the way she would when she knew I was trying to cover up a lie. "Nod... D-Don't... Don't let me h-hold you back ok-kay?"

I felt tears pricking at my eyes, and for maybe the first time in my life, I didn't care. I didn't care if the whole world saw me cry. Hell, I wouldn't care if god had struck me down right then. I would happily die if she didn't have to. Tarren and Ronin began stepping back, giving us a moment, and began taking care of Oren's body.

She kept speaking though. "I don't..." Another coughing fit. "I don't want to... to keep you from b-being happy when... When I'm n-not here..."

"Mary Katherine don't you _dare __**say**_ that! You're not going _**anywhere!**_ You're gonna come back to Willhollow and get better and we're gonna be... we're gonna be okay, justlike you promised!"

MK sighed, reaching her hand up to touch my cheek, and I grabbed it with my hand, holding it closely to my face. It was already feeling colder. I suddenly began breathing heavier, realizing the full reality of this.

I wasn't_ going_ to bring her back to Moonhaven. I was never going to see her smile at me early in the morning when she liked to wake up and take walks through the forest. I was never going to get to listen to one of her pointless rants and watch her get angry when I laughed at her. I wasn't going to get the share the rest of the forest with her. I wasn't going to be able to share my life with her, and make her laugh, and hold her and kiss her and tell her I loved her.

I wasn't going to have her anymore...

I suddenly broke down, lowering my head and crying like there was no way to stop.

"MK, you _can't! _Okay?! You can't just leave me alone here! I've lost too many people before. I won't be able to live if I lose you too..."

"Mary Katherine I _can't _be happy without you... I thought... I thought I would be able to let you go if I thought it was best for you but I _can't! _I don't know who I am or how to survive without you now! _**Please**__ don't leave me! __**PLEASE!"**_

I was sobbing now, wrapping my arms gently around her and pressing my forehead to hers. "Please, please, please..."

"Heyyyy..." She whispered soothingly, which made me feel like a despicable creature. She was the one _bleeding_ to death, and she was trying to comfort _**me?**_

"Nod..." She whispered once more. "It's okay, it's _okay..."_

I raised my head, starring at her incredulously. "Okay?! _Okay?! _How is this _**ever **_gonna be okay?! You not staying with me... _How will that __**ever**__ be right?!"_

Despite all this, despite the crying and yelling and begging, and the fact that she was breathing some of her last breaths, she smiled. "Because you're here _now. _Because I got to say goodbye to you, and because I got to tell you I'm sorry..."

I sobbed again. "MK don't you _dare _apologize. I was the one that hurt you. I thought if I said those things... you'd forget about me, and maybe I could forget about you too... But I _**can't!**_ _I can't_ forget about you and I can't _live _without you..."

MK sighed, and I could see her eyes starting to fog over. "Nod... I saved _thousands _of p-people..."

That did it for me. I completely erupted. "I DON'T WANT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, OKAY?! I JUST WANT YOU!"

Mk smiled, tears pricking at her eyes, and then she asked the most surprising question that could've been asked. "Nod... If I had... if I had a-asked you to marry me... would you...?"

I froze, completely taken aback. Of all the things to ask or say at that moment... I smiled, though the setting called for anything but a smile. "Mary Katherine... I don't care how many more people I meet in all of my life. I am _never _going to love someone as much as I do you... Yes. I would have..."

She smiled widely, tears pooling over, and her breath growing shorter. "That... That's..."

Suddenly, Mary Katherine's body went limp in my arms, and her head rolled against my chest, eyes closing softly. I tensed, feeling like someone had just taken a fist to my stomach. I couldn't seem to find air.

"...M-Mary Katherine...? No... _No_ _**No NO!" **_I bellowed, holding her face, shaking her to wake her up. This... no! This was just some sick and sadistic nightmare. This wasn't... NO!

"Mary Katherine, I'm not _kidding! _WAKE UP! _MARY KATHERINE DAMNIT DON'T __**DO**__ THIS!" _I screamed, burying my face in her shoulder. The warmth was slowly diminishing, but I clung to it with everything I could.

Suddenly I felt Ronin's hand on my shoulder. "Nod, please... I'm sorry but... There's nothing we can do... We need to take her to-"

He reached for her arm, and I pulled her body away from him. "You touch her and I rip your hand off..." My voice sounded dark and unfeeling, separated from the rest of the world.

Ronin leaned back, taking by surprise, but still reached for Mary Katherine. "Nod we cant just stay here and-"

"I SAID DON'T TOUCH HER!" I screamed, clutching her to my chest like it could somehow bring her back... Nothing could bring her back though... Nothing...

I cradled her to my chest still, rocking back and forth. "Please, please, _please..._"

I suddenly noticed something. Around her neck, hung the lunar necklace I'd given to her. She'd still kept, after everything that happened, everything I said and did... even when I left her in Willhollow, she hadn't given up...

"...I'm sorry Mary Katherine..." I whispered, kissing her now cold lips over and over, and pressing my forehead to hers. "I'm sorry. So, _so _sorry..."

I kept rocking her for what felt like forever. I felt like I was being sucked into some deep, bottomless pit. There was no sound, no light, no anything, except a nauseous pain worse than death. I just wanted to stop feeling anything, because emptiness would be better than this...

Suddenly, a spark of light kindled in the darkness. It seemed to spark about, lighting the darkness more and more until it had faded the black abyss entirely. I could finally make out the origin of the light, and to my immense surprise, it was coming from Oren's corpse.

Well, it couldn't really be his corpse because he appeared _awake_. It's eyes and mouth were wide open, and a strange black vapor drifted from his face. I watched in shock as it shredded from blue to gold in mid-air, and drifted towards us. Specifically, towards MK.

I pulled her closer, suspicious of whatever this stuff was. The head of the sparkling gold vapor ribbon stopped in front of us, and lowered itself before me, as if... as if asking permission.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, I held MK's body out and bit, and suddenly, the mist began swirling around her, collecting slightly at the wound, and ending around her mouth, which appeared to breath it in. I watched in complete shock as she began being lifted into the air.

Suddenly I heard the flutter of wings, and saw two fairies flying towards the balcony, stopping when they saw MK simply floating above the ground. One of them, an old, wrinkled man, I recognized as Aaron, the man who had healed me. He was completely awe-struck, as though this were a rare and beautiful occurrence.

"What's happening?" Tarren gasped, before I could ask. Aaron smiled.

"The Lady of Destiny is calling back her power..."

As the mist began reaching it's last amount, MK began floating back down, right into my arms. When she had breathed in the last of it, the hovering trick ended all together, and the redheaded girl collapsed into my arms. There was something different now though. A...warmth had returned.

My jaw opened, but no sound came out. It just couldn't... it was just _too _impossible!

Then again, I'd said the same thing about Mary Katherine being the Lady of Destiny.

Suddenly, against all odds, and the laws of the universe, Mary Katherine the stomper, who had been completely and utterly dead not moments ago, shifted in my arms. I felt my breathing grow heavier. She was...

Then, her eyes twitched, and slowly fluttered open. "...W-What?-" She began, but started coughing. I helped her sit up, still not completely processing what I had just seen, or what I was _seeing_. She rubbed her eyes, and let out a yawn.

"Ugh... What just... Oh, Nod." She said, as if surprised by my presence. Her voice sounded casual and sleepy, like she'd just woken from a nap. I just starred at her. What... how...?

"Ummm..." She mumbled, shyly, waving her hand in from my face. "Are you okay?" Then she turned to everyone else standing about, whose faces mirrored my shock, and she huffed. "Okay can someone _please_ tell me what's going on?"

Without any warning, I was suddenly crushing her to my chest, holding her as tightly as I could without hurting her. I just couldn't let go. I felt as if I were holding my own body together as I held hers.

"Nod?! Okay what the heck is going on!?" She screeched, tearing away from me. Ronin spoke finally. "MK... Do you remember anything?"

She rubbed her forehead, trying to remember whatever was being blocked by her temporary amnesia. "Ugh I don't know... It's kinda foggy... I remember flying to the tree... running from Oren...And... and... AH!" She screamed, going rigid and suddenly wrapping her arms tightly around her waist, hand covering the place she'd been stabbed.

"He...I..." She stuttered unable to get the words out. Finally she looked up at me, with my tear-stained cheeks and expression of continued disbelief. "What... Happened...?"

"You fulfilled the prophecy, _that's _what happened. "Aaron concluded, smiling, to which MK stared incredulously.

"But... but then shouldn't I be...?" Then her eyes suddenly widened. "I_ was_ wasn't I! I was..."

"You were dead..." Tarren finished, hanging his head.

This news must've been a shock to MK. She leaned back sitting on her knees, starring into space for a moment. "Wow...But...now I'm _not _dead_... _and that's possible how?"

Aaron answered this one. "Because when Oren was killed, the Lady of Destiny's power was able to escape, and return to its rightful owner." He gestured to me as he said this. "The excess energy must have been enough to heal you..."

MK just stared at the ground, deep in thought, before shaking her head. "But that... It doesn't make any sense! I was supposed to _die_ to save Willhollow! Isn't that... isn't that what the prophecy said?"

"Yes, but you _did _die." Tarren said, his voice choking up a bit on the last word. "You gave your life to save Willhollow... and your powers returned it..."

MK's gaze returned to the ground, though mine stayed thoroughly fixed on her. "Woah..."

Suddenly, we heard footsteps up the staircase, and one of Tarren's men appeared at the top. "Your highness, we were able to overtake the enemy. A couple of them still need to be wrangled in though. Should we find birds and-?"

"No." Tarren said sounding exasperated. I didn't blame him. I for one felt completely drained of _anything._ "We can leave that fight for another day. The important thing is that Oren's been defeated, and Willhollow's been won back. Captain, I need you to..."

Tarren's voice faded into the background, as did most of the other sound. I could only hear and feel MK, the sound of her breathing, her hands which still gripped my arms, as though she were afraid she'd fall over. She looked up at me, and a sheepish, apologetic smile creeped onto her face.

"Uh... hi." She said, still smiling. I continued to stare, unable to think of what I wanted to say yet. In that moment, I just felt like all words had been sucked right out of my brain. Did I even _want _to speak?

"Nod!" I heard Ronin shout. I tore my eyes from hers and looked up at the general, who was looking down sympathetically at us. "Make sure MK's taken care of. We have to go find out what condition everyone else is in."

I still didn't speak, but nodded my head, and just like that, the people were gone from the balcony, leaving me alone with the girl who had just died before my very eyes.

She looked up once more. "...Nod I _know _you want to yell at me for this, but... This wasn't just about me and you _know _that! This was about saving an entire kingdom and I just... Oh!"

The cause of her cry was me grabbing her face and pulling it into a kiss. I then wrapped my arms around her once more, holding her like a vice, burying my face in her shoulder, and muttering over and over again. "I _hate_ you..."

"Nod..." She whispered, though she didn't sound upset that I'd just told her I hated her. Maybe that was because I was saying it, but meant everything else that I wanted to tell her and couldn't find the will to spit out.

I love you. You scared me. I can't lose you. I thought you were dead. Never leave me. You're everything. Stay with me. I love you, I love you, _I love you._

I hate you.

**This chapter made me cry. Like legitly. Probably because I was listening to My Heart Will Go On while proofreading and the emotions were just too much... Regardless.**

**So, for the first time in like this **_**entire **_**story, I can say that NOTHING BAD IS GOING TO HAPPEN FROM THIS POINT ON! XDD **_**VICTORY! **_**No seriously like everything's good from this point. **_**I TOLD YOU EVERYTHING WAS GONNA BE OKAY?! SEE?!  
**_

**^^ seriously guys, never doubt me.**

**So we officially only have _2 CHAPTERS_ left. Does that depress you? It depresses me. Like seriously this story has been a six month project of mine, and now it's almost over... T-T the feels...**

**But we still have two chapters, so it'll be okay.**

**Until then!**

**~ Macy**


	41. Why Not?

**Well... Since the last chapter, chapter 42, is the epilogue, this is theoretically the last chapter... T-T**

**Tears, tears of joy, tears of sorrow, just tears...**

**I really hope you guys enjoy this, and thank you so much for everything, all the support, just thanks for being awesome. Geez I don't know what I'm going to do when I don't have to update anymore... I guess starting working on my new stories! ^^**

**So, I give you Chapter 41. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 41:**

_(MK's POV)_

Ugh... Where... W-Where am I? Why do I feel so groggy...?

I looked around wherever I was laying. It appeared to be some little white cot, just like a dozen others in a row. It was all inside a warm, sunlit room.

I felt strange, like I had been frozen for a long period of time and was just thawing out. I looked around the room, searching for any sign of another person, but there was no one.

The warm summer wind blew in through the open windows, fluttering the white curtains, and filling the room with the smell of flowers. Outside, the hard-working voices of men, and laughs of children could be heard...

Where the heck was I?

Oh my gosh...Was I dead? I'd actually bit the dust back there hadn't I! Back when...

When... When had that been again? What time was it anyways?

Feeling like my brain had been stirred in a blender, I stood up, and immediately regretted it. The blood suddenly rushed to my head, causing me to need to sit back down. Ugh. What on earth had happened to me?

I settled back down, trying to remember what had happened. After everyone had left Nod and me on the balcony, he'd carried me towards one of the hospital wards. Said something about making absolutely sure I was okay. I must've fallen asleep before we got there because I didn't remember coming to this place.

Deciding my dizziness had faded enough; I stood once more and slowly made my way out the room, and down the hall.

Upon opening the doors, I found myself in a main hallway in the palace; a place I recognized. I slowly made my way down, still feeling a little weak and uneasy. Even so, it didn't take long for me to find my way out of the palace.

Sunlight flashed into my face as I exited into the front courtyard of the palace. Outside, there were fairies flying everywhere, working and talking and flitting here and there. The entire place buzzed with life.

Suddenly, I heard a very distinct voice calling out, and turned towards it.

The prince of Willhollow himself, with his little sister by his side, ordering people this way and that as they began rebuilding what part of Willhollow had been destroyed. He looked focused and serious, but there was a glow in his face that I hadn't seen in some time. It made me happy to think that the weight of this death penalty on his home had finally been lifted. He could finally rest and know he had saved him people...

As I got closer, I saw him ordering some soldiers to take away a few prisoners, and among them, I caught sight of a head of strawberry blonde hair.

Tanya.

I sighed. Of all the people responsible for the Willhollow attack, her betrayal was going to stay with me the most, and despite what she had done, I was really going to miss her...

"MARY KATHERINE!" I suddenly heard a high pitched squealing voice, and before I could even turn to look, Jennora was sacking me from the side, causing me to stagger back and nearly fall.

I laughed. "Jenni!"

"OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE OKAY I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA DIE BUT TARREN SAID YOU TOTALLY BEAT OREN AND SAVED EVERYONE AND OH I'M JUST SO GLAD YOU'RE NOT HURT!" She cried in a rush. Jumping around me. I laughed, glad to see that Aaron had finally been able to dispel the sickness from her entirely.

"Mary Katherine!" Tarren said happily as he ran over, having noticed me due to his sister's outcry. I smiled shyly as he scooped me up in a hug.

"I'm really glad to see you're doing okay." He said as he set me down, and I smiled.

"Yeah, me too. Aaron must have worked wonders with whatever he did. Where is he anyways?"

"Oh I think he went to go help searching the prison cells." Jenni chimed in. "He said he was looking for someone really important."

I stiffened, remembering the queen. That _had _to have been whom he went after. Would Oren have even let her live? I couldn't think of any reason he'd have to keep her alive, and this scared me. The last thing Tarren or Jenni needed after this whole fiasco was to find out their mom _hadn't _actually been dead, but was now...

And the queen herself had given up so much for me, even sacrificed herself to let me escape. If Oren had finished her off, I would never have been able to forgive myself...

Suddenly, a cool but steady gust of wind blew from behind us. I turned, and watched as two figures flew down, landing right before the glare of the sun, causing me to squint and look away.

Tarren shielded his face from the sunlight. "Who's there?"

I heard a melodic, familiar laugh, and my heart soared. I smiled and rushed over to the queen and Aaron, who I assumed was the man beside her.

"You're okay!" I cried as I approached her. She smiled wider and hugged me when I reached her. She reminded me so much of my own mother that it almost made me sad...

"Yes child, thanks to our soldiers. They were able to distract Oren and his men enough for him to leave me be."

Suddenly, I heard the clatter of a metal on stone, and turned to see Tarren starring wide eyes and disbelieving at the two of us. His sword had slipped from his grasp, and he didn't even flinch to pick it up; just starred. He probably didn't believe it, maybe couldn't afford to.

"M-Mama...MAMA!" Jenni squealed and didn't hesitate to take wing and soar right into her mother's arms. I stepped back and let them embrace. They were both smiling and laughing, though contradictory tears slid down their cheeks. It made me happy to see them reuniting.

I looked around and saw that the fairies were starting to notice the prince and who he was standing with. They began moving cautiously towards the group, before realizing it was truly their beloved queen brought back from the dead it seemed. Joyous voices cried out. "Queen Rheina has returned to us!" and "Long live the queen!"

I looked back at Tarren, who still hadn't moved. His jaw had fallen slightly agape, and his eyes looked moist. Rheina rose from the ground, and walked towards her son, her daughter's hand still clasped with hers. When she reached Tarren, she smiled sweetly, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"I'm sorry my boy... I'm sorry for leaving such a burden on you for so long."

"You're... you...h-how? _How?_" Tarren spluttered, unable to form words. "You... you were gone! I _saw _them bury you! This... This is impossible!" He said, going into denial, refusing to allow the truth to settle in his mind. I didn't blame him. If my mother were to suddenly appear before me, I wouldn't have believed it either.

Queen Rheina smiled. "No, Tarren sweetheart. Oren poisoned me and then locked me in the greater dungeon, with Aaron the prophet. I escaped when the servants hidden in the castle freed us but... Oh how I missed you."

Tarren took a deep breath, before suddenly pulling his mother into his arms, and burying his face in her shoulder. The crowd cheered, and I had to hold back the urge to let out an 'aww', so not to ruin the moment. Suddenly, Jenni took hold of my hand and smiled at me.

"Thank you for saving my mama, Mary Katherine."

"MK!" I heard Ronin's familiar voice call, and saw him and the Leafmen landing nearby on their birds. Ronin lept from his saddle and ran over, enveloping me in a hug. "It's good to see you up and running again!"

I smiled. "Well hey, it sure beats almost dying"

The royal mother and son released each other from their embrace, and Rheina turned to me, finally looking like the full royalty that she was. She still wore the tattered rags that she'd been left with all that time, but there was a sparkle in her eyes, and a heir about her that told you, this woman was one of great power.

She took my hand in between both of hers and smiled at me. "Mary Katherine, the stomper of Moonhaven, and the legendary Lady of Destiny. I wish to bestow upon you my thanks, and the thanks of all my people. You went beyond anything requested of you, sacrificed your own life even, to save a home that was not your own, simply for the sake of it's people. For that, we will be eternally grateful."

Then she leaned in and whispered in my ear. "Thank you child, for saving my children. I will never forget what you gave up for us."

I smiled and shook my head. "I only did what I knew was right. You don't need to thank me for that."

Rheina's smile widened, her eyes glowing with a happiness that had seemed dissipated for so long. It made her look younger and less worn by her years in a damp prison cell.

Suddenly, and took my hand and raised it above our heads. "My people, let it be said now, that a hundred years from now, and far beyond then, the people of Willhollow will remember the bravery and sacrifice given by Mary Katherine, the Lady of Destiny! She shall be welcome as a guest more privileged than royalty among Willhollow, and will remain a great hero long after her days!"

The crowd cheered, and I blushed. Well at least some things never changed. I still didn't like large groups of people, especially when all attention was on me.

That attention was quickly averted however, when the queen turned to Ronin and the Leafmen, whom among them, I noticed, Nod was absent. Where on earth had he gone?

"And you, the Leafmen of Moonhaven. For your kindness and joining of arms when we were in one of our darkest hours, I propose a truce between our kingdoms. This ridiculous feud has gone on longer than was ever necessary. Wouldn't you say it's time to make amends?"

Ronin smiled, and shook the queen now outstretched hand. "I believe our queen would be completely in favor of that."

The queen grinned, and turned back to the still-growing crowd. "From this day forth, the Leafmen of Moonhaven, and the Fairy Folk of Willhollow shall be allies, for better or worse!"

The crowd cheered in agreement, having finally put aside their petty pride and accepted the Leafmen as brothers in arms. The people cheered and I heard several shout. "THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED! WE MUST CELEBRATE!"

From that point on, all work at restoring Willhollow ceased, and a city-wide festival began, where the fairies played music and sang and ate. It seemed like it was right out of fairytale.

Suddenly, I felt another hand slip into mine, and turned to see Tarren, suddenly looking serious and... nervous.

Oh no.

"Mary Katherine..." He began. "...Okay I _know _the chances are one in a million, and you'd already refused, but I have to ask just _one _more time..."

"Tarren-" I almost began, but Tarren kept talking.

"Would you stay here in Willhollow? With us? With... me?"

"Tarren I can't. You _know _I-"

"You could though! You could stay here and be happy..."

I sighed, trying not to let the longing in his voice get to me. I knew what I wanted and where I wanted to be, and it wasn't here. Nod was the only one who could truly make me happy.

I felt sick inside for having to tell Tarren that, still it had to be said, one last time.

"Tarren..." I whispered, then sighed. "You know the last thing I'd ever want to do is hurt you... But you know I can't say yes to that. I have a home already... I'm _sorry_..."

Tarren smiled sadly. "...I guess I knew that would be the answer. I just... I just wanted to ask one more time."

Then his gaze fell to the ground, and his eyes closed. I sighed, and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Tarren... I know that you think you're in love with me or whatever...But I don't think you really are."

This made the boy look up, facial expression showing astonishment. "I am though!"

"Yeah, because the prophecy told you to!" I defended, causing his to falter slightly. "You would never have even _met _me if you hadn't read that letter and gone to find me. Maybe I'm wrong though? Maybe you really do love me, but it's only because a story told you to."

Tarren tried to hold my gaze, to try and find a way to prove me wrong, but he knew I was right. Even if his feelings were genuine, they had been set in place by others.

Finally, Tarren let out a sigh of defeat. "I know... But that doesn't make it any less real to me..."

I frowned, wishing I didn't have to hurt any more people. Suddenly, Tarren smiled. "I'll be okay though. I promise."

I smiled, before holding my hand out to shake his. "Go out there and find some one. Someone that _you _get to choose, not a prophecy."

He smiled, and took my hand. Rather than shaking it however, he kissed the top of it. "I'll do my best Mary Katherine... Thank you for everything you gave up to save my home... and my mother. I hope you're happy with Nod."

That brought Nod back to the forefront of my mind. "Have you seen him by the way? I haven't been able to find him since last night."

To this, Tarren shrugged. "I'm not sure. I thought I saw him with the other Leafmen a while back, but that was some time ago."

"Well I'm going to go look for him. I... Goodbye Tarren..."

Then I wrapped my arms around him in one last goodbye hug, feeling more heartbroken than I thought I could've felt about leaving the prince of Willhollow. He had become a close friend, and I truly did hope that he found someone else, someone who could love him back...

I sighed, and started for the stairs. Nod might be in the city somewhere or, more likely, at the base where I'd seen him several times before.

Suddenly, I heard a voice calling my name. "Mary Katherine, Mary Katherine!" Rang the familiar little voice of the Princess Jennora herself. I turned and laugh as she ran towards me.

"Don't worry, I wouldn't _dare _leave without saying goodbye." I shouted, but the smile quickly faded from my face when I saw the anxious look on the girl's face as she reached me.

"Mary Katherine!" She gasped, quite out of breath. She clutched the sleeve of my jacket tightly, and I knelt down to her level.

"What's wrong?" I asked worriedly. "Is someone hurt?"

"No, no one's hurt but... Mary Katherine, Nod's leaving Willhollow _right_ now."

This stopped me in my place. "W-What do you mean?"

"I... I saw him out on the landing dock, and he looked like he was packing up a bird for a long trip. I think... I think he's trying to leave Willhollow without you..."

I swallowed, feeling my heart starting to speed up. Why on earth would he be trying to leave?!

"Is he still up there?" I was somehow able to choke out.

"I don't know... But I think you need to hurry and find him!" She stated. I nodded, and rose, turning to take off for the stables. At this point, Nod was probably ready to take off, so my only chance of getting to him in time was to catch up to him in the forest.

"Mary Katherine, wait!" Jenni cried. My head snapped back to hers, and she looked sad. "Are you gonna go home and forget about us now?"

I sighed, and enveloped the girl in a hug. "Of _course _I'm not gonna forget you Jenni. You'll always be a little sister to me..."

Jennie squeezed me tight. "Goodbye Mary Katherine..."

I let her go and smiled. "Goodbye..."

Then, wasting no time, I took off towards the stable. It took very little time for me to get a bird saddled, and take off for the base of the tree. I had to see if he was there first.

As I approached the bottom, I caught sight of a hummingbird, with an extremely familiar Leafman aboard it. Suddenly, the bird took off for the woods and I pulled the reigns up to send my own bird after him.

I don't think he realized I was following him, though he was already flying at an extreme speed. I whipped the reigns on the bird to try and speed her up, and gulped in a deep breath of air.

"NOD!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. The boy flinched, and turned around. I dipped down, trying to get him to land, which he understood, and started flying towards an opening in the forest floor. I swooped down after him.

We landed quickly and quietly in the grass, and I dismounted almost before my bird had even landed. The grass swooshed as the wings of the birds swept the air against it. The green stalks brushed against my legs as I ran across the grass to the leafman who was just leaping off his bird, but still facing away from me.

"What do you want?" His cold hard voice caused my steps to slow as I got closer.

"What do I _want?"_ I asked, my voice resonating with irritation. "I want to know why the heck you're trying to take off! Where did you think you were going?!"

"Home." He stated sharply, causing me to flinch. Why was he acting like this?

"Without Ronin, or the other Leafmen? Without _me?!_ What did you just think I was just gonna catch a cab or something?"

"You're not coming back with us." He said, and my eyes widened. What... What was he talking about? Not coming back?!

"What?!" I almost squealed. "Why on earth wouldn't I be coming back?!"

"Because you're staying in freaking Willhollow that's why!" He finally snapped, and turned towards me, anger livid in his expression. I curled back, like a frightened child. "Nod..."

"I know okay?!" He said. "I know that Tarren asked you to stay here with you."

My eyes widened, and suddenly this made sense.

"Nod I didn't-"

"No it's fine! I figured I'd outstayed my welcome anyways." He said dryly, and turned back to his bird, tightening and adjusting some of the leather straps on his saddle. I sighed.

"Nod I told him I wasn't going to stay."

This froze him for a moment. He quickly resumed though. "Well go _untell_ him, okay? You're not coming back with us."

My jaw fell open slightly, and I was feeling anger boiling up in me now. What the heck was his problem right now?! I just told him I'd said no to Tarren, that I wanted to come back. Hadn't we already admitted that we were wrong, that we both still cared about each other, and needed each other? When had _that_ gotten tossed out the window?!

"Nod what is your _problem?!_ I told Tarren I wasn't staying in Willhollow, that I was going back with you!"

"Well I don't _want _you to come back with me." He retorted through his grit teeth. I let out a humorless laugh, that sounded more like a scoff.

"Since _when?! _I thought this was behind us? I thought you said you still loved me?!"

"I do! It's just-"

"Just what?! Nod if I'm not staying in Willhollow, then there's no reason for me to not go with you! Why on earth would you want me to leave you?! Did I do something _wrong?"_

"No!" he said defensively, but I wasn't finished.

"Then what the hell's going on?! Why are you trying to get rid of me again?!" I all but shouted. I mean, I had been upset when he'd left the last time, but back then, I'd believed he'd hated my guts. Just last night, He told me he hadn't meant it, that he was still in love with me. So why the heck was he now trying to leave me again?! I could only take so much mind-changing before it started to take a toll on me.

"I'm not I just-"

"Then _what?! _And will you freaking _**look**__ at me?!" _I screamed, grabbing his shoulder to yank him around. He suddenly turned, and grabbed me by both upper arms, lifting me and pulling my face inches from his

"I CAN'T LOSE YOU AGAIN!" His voice echoed, blasting through the otherwise silent forest, and freezing me like a stone. He breathed raggedly as his tight hold lessened, and his head dropped. I simply starred at him, unable to think of a thing to say.

"N-Nod..." Was the only word that escaped my lips. His face contorted slightly, as if hearing my voice hurt him.

"I...When I thought you were... that Oren had... MK I wouldn't have been able to _live _with myself if you hadn't come back to me..."

"But I did." I whispered, placing my hands on his face. "You didn't lose me."

"Yes I did!" His voice roared again, causing me to flinch. "You were _dead, _do you hear me?! I couldn't stop that bastard from hurting you... I couldn't save you Mary Katherine..."

"Nod that wasn't-" I began, wanting to explain that it hadn't been his fault, that I had chosen on my own to face Oren, to give up my life. It had never been his responsibility to save it. He cut be off again though. He seemed to enjoy doing that.

"After I brought you to the doctor guy, I realized...I realized that Tarren's the prince of one of the greatest kingdoms in the forest, as much as I hate to admit it. He has more power than I could ever _dream _of having. I couldn't even...I couldn't even keep you alive..."

He then looked up into my eyes, and they were so broken and lost that they made my heart break then and there. "MK I'm not good enough for you. I never was. I don't know why I ever thought I deserved you..._you _deserve to be royalty. You deserve to live in a castle and be treated the way you've treated the rest of the world..."

The he looked down again. "At least you deserve someone who can protect you... He can protect you here, better than I could..."

He paused a moment to take a deep breath, as if preparing himself for something that might possibly kill him, but that he had to do. I don't know why I hadn't said anything, or why I probably couldn't have found the words if I tried. I just starred. Then he looked up once more.

"That's why you need to stay here. You're better off here with him that you'll ever be with me... So go. Go back to Tarren and tell him you want to stay... I'm going back to Moonhaven."

He let go of my arms and began turn back to his bird, but before I was even aware of what I was doing, I had roughly grabbed him and pulled myself into him, forcing my lips on his in a heated kiss. He stiffened, and fought against me. I was relentless though, pressing myself as close to him as I could manage.

"MK, stop it... _stop it_..." He muttered against my lips as he tried to pull away.

"Shut up." I mumbled against his as I continued to kiss him. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, _shut up."_

I could feel tears starting to drizzle down my cheeks onto his, but I didn't care. I wanted him to understand. I wanted him to understand that I was _never_ going to deserve him, no matter how long I lived or what I did. I wanted him to understand that yes, Tarren had a castle and a title and could probably give me anything that I wanted.

He could never be Nod though. He could never make me laugh even when I was ready to cry, never know exactly what to say or not say when I was angry. He could never laugh or smile and smirk the way he did, never hold me the same way. He could never replace the irreplaceable.

He couldn't make me happy the way Nod made me happy...

When I finally broke apart, I clasped my arms around his neck and buried my face in his chest, crying harshly. He didn't speak, but eventually wrapped a hesitant pair of arms around me.

"I don't want him!" I sobbed. "I want you! I'll never want anyone but you as long as I live! Please don't make me stay here _please!"_

"Hey, heyyyy it's alright... Shhhhh hey it's okay..." He whispered comfortingly, running his hands over my head as I cried into his shoulder. I just continued to cry.

"Please stay with me... Please, please, please..." I begged. I didn't care how pathetic and helpless I sounded or looked; I just needed to know he wasn't going to leave me.

He pulled away and rubbed a couple tears away with his thumb. "I'm not going anywhere then... I promise I won't leave you..."

I sighed, and pressed my forehead to his. We sat in silence for a moment or two, before a sudden thought crossed my mind. It was an irrational thought, and not the most appropriate for that particular moment, but it was something I had to ask.

"Nod...?" I whispered.

"Yes?"

"...Let's get married..."

For a millisecond, Nod didn't move. He blinked a couple times, and pulled away, looking at me like I'd just asked him to kill someone. _"...What?"_

I said it louder, and a bit more confidently. "Let's get married."

This time, he outright laughed, and stated sarcastically. "You-You're not..._serious _are you? Like... please tell me you're kidding..."

This made me second-guess for a split second, but I knew I had already started this conversation, and I needed to finish it. "Well why not?"

"Why _not?!" _He asked incredulously. "Maybe because we're still both kids and wouldn't know what the hell we were doing! You can't just up and get _married?! _Especially after all this?! I mean..."

He trailed off though, and looked into my eyes for a moment. They were sad and confused. "MK... I _do _love you, and I already told you what I'd choose... But I mean you were dying then, and... Mary Katherine don't you want to _think _about this for a while? Like rationally?"

I took a deep breath, and smiled at him. Another emotion could be seen in his eyes, buried but nonetheless there... Fear. He was scared by this idea, and honestly so was I. But there was one thing that kept it from scaring me away.

"Nod... I _have _thought about this rationally, maybe a little _too _rationally" I added. "But you know what I realized...? I realized it doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I love you, and you love me. Nothing else is relevant."

Then I walked towards the Leafman again, and placed a hand on his cheek. "And if there's only one thing I've learned in all of this mess... it's that I love you, and I _always _will, and I want to stay with you as long as I live..."

Nod took a deep breath, met my eyes, and smiled. I smiled back. "Sooooo... What do you say, Nod? Would you marry a stomper?"

Nod sighed, contemplating this for a minute or two, before the corner of his lip turned up in a crooked half-smile, and he leaned in, planting a soft kiss on my lips.

"Why not?"

I smiled so widely I thought my mouth was going to tear. It definitely wasn't the kind of proposal I had dreamed about when I was younger, but then again, had _anything _I'd believed in _any_ of this when I was younger? Had I believed that an advanced society of tiny people living in the woods existed? Had I believed I was the freaking _Lady of Destiny?_

Had I believed I was going to fall in love with a Leafman, or that he was going to be as completely perfect as he was?

Suddenly, Nod scooped me and began spinning me around. I laughed, and squealed as I twirled in his arms, feeling more like a princess that I would've thought possible. He loved me like a princess, despite me never deserving it. I decided I wasn't going to question in anymore though.

I was just going to love him with all my heart.

As Nod's twirling slowed down, I began sinking back into his arms, and my arms snaked around his neck again. I leaned in close to his face, close enough that I could feel his breath on my face, and mine on his. I whispered quietly, so that no one else in the entire world would hear. Because these words would only ever belong to him and him alone.

"_I love you..."_

And I do, Nod.

I really do.

* * *

**... BUAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TEARS, TEARS OF JOY, OH MY GOODNESS, CANNOT FUNCTION! Literally I don't know if it's because that was kinda theoreticaly the LAST FLIPPING CHAPTER, or because it was so beautiful, but I am overcome with emotion, so... Yeah TT_TT**

**Oh my **_**goodness **_**you guys! We have **_**one chapter left! **_**And it's the epilogue! I MIGHT CRY! **_**OH WAIT TOO LATE!**_

**:') Happy News Year guys! I find it ironic that I'm finishing my story at the beginning of the year. Like, if that's not cheesy I don't know what is...**

**Ugh. Alright the LAST CHAPTER will be posted tomorrow... And I gotta say it's been really fun. Thank you guys for reading so much, and I hope you love chapter 42.**

**Until then!**

**~Macy**


	42. Epilogue

**Hey guys majorly sorry for not updating earlier. Half of me was super busy wit family probs and other stuff, and the other half was just dreading this story coming to an end.**

**I'm gonna be honest, when I first wrote he epilogue like a month ago, I was afraid to reread it because I thought it was gonna be absolutely terrible. I even considered not posting it at all, just ending it at Chapter 41, but then I proofread it and could not believe how much better it was than what I imagined! Like what?!**

**So yes I'm very proud to be finishing strongly, and I want to thank you all so much for having stayed with me all this time. I know I put you all through major hell, and I'm sorry, but look how nice it turned out? ^^**

**So I give you, the final chapter of "I Do Believe in Leafmen."**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 42:**

**Epilogue**

_Several Months Later..._

_(MK's POV)_

"Oh my goodness MK that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in the entire world and you're going to look so absolutely amazing and oh my goodness!" The queen babbled as she ran around the dressing room, her lips moving at a hundred miles per hour. I laughed as one of the flower women smoothed a petal here and adjusted a strap there.

The dress was very different from the dress I'd worn in Willhollow. Strapless green bodice, white, pleated petal skirt that didn't poof nearly as much as the first one had, and flowing, detached sleeves that clasped in gold and ended at my wrists. Rather than a tradition crown veil, I wore a gold wreath with the veil flowing behind, not quite as long as the other one.

I still hated dresses with a passion, but compared to the last few I'd been forced to wear, this one was much easier to agree with. Honestly, they could've stuck me in any sort of ridiculous costume and I wouldn't have cared.

This was finally, _really _happening.

As soon as we had said goodbye to everyone in Willhollow, and returned to Moonhaven, Nod and I had told everyone, and they'd all been absolutely thrilled, especially a certain little queen of Moonhaven who'd bombarded me with an arsenal of "I told you so's".

I'd even gotten to talk to my dad, and tell him everything that happened (excluding the dangerous parts and that part about me actually dying. We all decide _that _wasn't something he needed to hear about.) He couldn't believe everything that I'd done, or everything that was happening now.

I wished more than anything that he could've been here in person. Apparently the queen hadn't finished her next batch of elixirs in time, so it was impossible to bring him down to Willhollow.

It made me more than sad to think that my own father wasn't going to physically be here for my own wedding, but I still found joy in knowing he was happy with what I had chosen, because it made me happy. And Nod did make me happy...

The fighting between Willhollow and Moonhaven officially ended, though I'll admit it did take a while for everyone to let go of their grudges, especially my Leafman. He found it in his heart to forgive though and move on, something of which I was very proud.

The next several months had gone into planning. The ceremony, the dress, the everything. I hadn't wanted to go extravagant, but the Queen insisted on every extravagance she could weasel past me. I decided that even though it was my day, I'd let her have her fun.

Now that day was here, and I wasn't even sure what I was feeling. Some mixture of excitement, dread, and any other emotion you could think of. It was so different from how I'd felt before the wedding at Willhollow. Back then it'd just a very empty hole in the pit of my stomach. This had to be the complete opposite... Yet at the same time I'd never been happier.

I sighed, adjusting the cuff around my upper arm where the sleeves were tied in place. A tingling sense of nerves seemed to overcoat all the other emotions, leaving me with a buzz-like sensation that was making me more and more excited. I huffed as I stepped away from the mirror and sat down in a chair nearby, playing nervously with the moon stone clasped round my neck.

"Hey, you alright?" The queen said worriedly as she finally stopped talking long enough to notice me. I smiled.

"Yeah I'm fine just... oh who am I kidding, I'm scared as heck!"

"Well why? Don't you _want _to marry Nod?"

"Yes of course!" I said, probably a little too quickly. "It's just... Ugh this would a thousand times easier if I could just marry him without _all _of Moonhaven coming to watch! I mean, why can't it just be... us?"

The queen rolled her eyes good-naturedly and sank to her knees at my feet, taking my hand as she settled. "Well, I do understand how you feel. Sometimes I'm nervous when I have to go do queenly stuff and whatnot..."

Suddenly we both heard the clatter of things falling over in the other room, and the queen's eyes lit up.

"Well I do have _one _thing that might cheer you up." And with that, she stood, and pulled me out of my chair towards the room where the clatters had been heard. Right as she was about to open the door, it swung in, opened by the person on the other side; the only person who could've made this day any more perfect.

"_Dad?!" _I cried as I threw my arms around my father, standing there is a suit and tie that I had never seen before, and couldn't have imagined what fun he had trying to struggle his way into it. He laughed.

"Mary Katherine! Oh it's so good to see you!"

"Wait how... how did you get here?!" I said, before turning to the queen. "_You _said there was no other way to get him here!"

"I lied," She shrugged, as if the fact that my father was standing here at the same two-inch height as the rest of Moonhaven was as normal as anything else. I just laughed and turned back to my dad.

"Dad I'm so glad you made it." I said, holding his hand tightly, and I really was. It wouldn't have been right if my own father hadn't been there for my wedding...

"Well let me get a look at you!" My dad laughed, stepping back to see the dress. I suddenly felt bashful, thinking back on the thousand times as a child that I'd told him I was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt to my wedding, that they'd have to kidnap me and _make _me wear a dress...

Here I was though, twirling around in a dress made of leaves and flower petals no less! It was definitely the last place I had expected to end up as a child. It was exactly where I belonged though.

My dad smiled, and it looked like tears were about to come into his eyes. "Mary Katherine you look... absolutely beautiful. Just like your mother..."

This almost made _me _cry. I mean, this was the man who had helped raise me throughout my entire life, even when my mom had left him. Now I was asking him to finally let me go...

I smiled at my dad. "I'm gonna be okay dad. I'll be right here, and you'll always be able to come and visit. I'm just next door..."

"Oh I know!" He said in his flustered, defensive way. "I know, I know, I just... Oh I'm just gonna miss you MK." He smiled sadly. "I really am..."

I hugged him one, trying hard not to cry. "I am too dad..."

"Well," The queen said, causing us to separate and turn to her. "I hate to be the one to ruin a _lovely_ father/daughter moment, but we have a wedding to make it to."

I laughed, sniffing softly. "Yup, we do."

My heart was starting to beat heavily again as I thought of all the people that were going to have their eyes on me. This though made me shakier and shakier as we approached the place where the ceremony was being held. Having my father there for me to hold onto made it a little more bearable, but I was still concerned about the growing nausea in my stomach.

This was a different kind of dread than what I'd felt before the wedding in Willhollow thought, and not nearly as serious. Back then, I'd been questioning whether I was prepared to give up my entire life for the people who needed me.

I knew I wasn't giving anything up now though. I was gaining more than I ever thought I'd be able to find in the world. My only problem was I didn't want the rest of the world starring me down as I walked down the aisle to meet it.

"Dad..." I whispered, my voice cracking like broken glass. My dad gave my arm a reaasuring squeeze.

"You're gonna be fine baby. I promise."

I took a deep breath, trying to take his words to heart. I _was _going to be fine. I was...

The music began playing, and person-by-person, the wedding procession shuffled out ahead of. The queen gave me a reassuring smile before she too disappeared. It was now just my dad and me. I was glad that he was here to walk me down. It made it more real, and much more comforting.

As the music began changing once more signaling us to enter, I had to remind my rigid legs to move. I felt like the tin man without oil, and it definitely wasn't helping the nerves.

_C'mon MK, you've been through _so_much worse than this, _I told myself to try and kill the nausea. _You survived attack, series of attempted kidnappings and killings, you even fought a psychotic warlord bent on taking over Willhollow and then dictating the entire forest! And you _beat_him! This is __**nothing...**_

This wasn't nothing though. This was me stepping out to meet my future. What if... What if things changed between me and Nod? What if he got tired of me, or realized he didn't love me the way I loved him? What if-?!

Suddenly, the double doors swung open, and I immediately froze, looking down the aisle, past every single staring pair of eyes, down to the pair of warm, brown, loving ones waiting for me at the end.

It was like someone had unplugged the drain in me. Every single fearful emotion just poured right out of me, and all I could think about was that he was there, waiting for me, and I was going to walk to him, and tell him that I did want to spend the rest of my life with him.

I didn't acknowledge another person as I passed them. My father almost seemed to vanish himself as I got to the end, where Nim Galuu of all people was waiting to marry me to my leafman. Nod's eyes never seemed to leave mine, and they were full of complete, awe-struck wonder, like he was seeing the sun for the first time in his life.

Normally this would've made me blush and look down, but now all I could do was look into his eyes and smile. I thought I had accepted the idea of Nod as my husband. It had been such a foreign word to me not a couple months ago. Even when Tarren had expected me to marry him, I couldn't imagine myself as his wife or him as my husband. I could picture Nod as that. As someone who would take care of me, fight for me, laugh with me. Love me...

Even though the idea had enveloped my mind for the past few months, and had become the cause of a great excitement in my heart, seeing him now almost felt like seeing him for the first time, in a new brilliant light.

Yes, I decided. I would have_ no_ problem spending the rest of my life with him.

My father smiled, and placed my hand into Nod's. I smiled back at him, knowing how huge this was for the both of us. I was always going to be his little girl, but it must've been sad to think that his little girl was growing up... An ironic thought, consider none of us were more than two inches tall anyways.

As I stepped up to face him, the corner of Nod's lip turned up in a half smile as he whispered quietly. "Geez... and I thought I was nervous _before."_

I scoffed, almost loud enough for Nim to notice as he spoke; his voice droning into the background slightly. "Don't even get me _started _on nervous, okay? I'm the one who had to walk down an aisle with the _entire _forest starring me down. What would you _possibly _have to be nervous about?"

"Having to stand here and feel insignificant next to what I'm pretty sure is a angel."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh _please..._" Thought I also had to bite my lip softly to keep from grinning like an idiot. If there was a single place I belonged in this entire world, it was in the arms of the man who loved me no matter what I did or said or became. This man was worth more than a lifetime could give him.

So the least I could do was give him mine.

"...for as long as you both shall live?" Nim said, and Nod's lip twitched in a crooked smiled.

"I do."

I had to bite my lip again to keep from letting out a sob. My eyes were already teary, and it would've irritated me if I hadn't been happier than I'd ever been in my entire life, and if that happiness weren't making me want to cry. I mean, he'd already said yes to marrying me. The fact that he was standing here shouldn't have been such a joyful shock.

There was something else though, something in the way he said those two little words, that meant more than anything he'd ever said, and possibly ever would say, to me. Like he was portraying ever last emotion left in him, in one short, incredible phrase.

I was so lost in his face, his deep brown eyes, and trying not to cry, that I practically zoned out again. I seemed to do that a lot at weddings. I wondered if other brides did that? Got so lost in all they were gaining that the rest of the world seemed to disappear? It didn't seem impossible...

"...Keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

I looked up into his eyes, and they looked about as terrified as I had felt before walking out here and seeing me. I held back the urge to smirk. What, did he think I'd say no? I almost laughed here, considering the last time I'd almost gotten married, I _had._

That wasn't Nod though. That wasn't the person I was born to be with, before I'd even known it. Queen Tara bringing me here, that _was _part of my destiny. Not because I had to find a magical fairy kingdom and stop a madman with the help of powers I'd never know about until the time came. No...

The reason my destiny brought me to Moonhaven was to find Nod.

"I do." I said, watching as he let out an almost incredulous gasp of breath, like he couldn't believe it somehow. It only made me smile more.

"Well then, you may now seal the promises you have made with each other with a kiss." Then Nim tilted his head towards Nod.

"That means get on with it, kid."

Nod rolled his eyes. "I know what it-MMF!"

He was cut off though by me practically throwing myself on him, lips and all. His eyes widened, taking by surprise, before he leaned in, his eyes fluttering closed like mine. I could hear cheers in the background but honestly, I might as well have been in my own world; my own, perfect, little world.

The rest of the people watching us no longer mattered as we walked back down the aisle. Nothing in the entire world could've made me unhappy for whatever reason. I was going to spend the rest of my life with my Leafman; the man I never would've dreamed could fall in love with me.

I was untouchable that night.

The party was endless and tiresome, as all parties were for me. I figured I'd have to go to a lot more of them down here in Moonhaven, but somehow I didn't see it as something I could adjust to. They'd just always be horrible.

But, as usual, my knight in shining armor was there to rescue me from the crowd of noisy people insisting on congratulating and complimenting me. Don't get me wrong, it was all very flattering, but after a while it because exhausting to sit there and make small talk with a bunch of civilized people like this.

"Excuse me, you're all being very kind, but if you wouldn't mind I'd like to steal my _beautiful _bride away for a little bit."

I blushed beet red as the people shuffled away, glaring jokingly at Nod as he smiled the crowds away. "Well way to humiliate me even more..." I muttered as I began strolling away from him. He simply followed though, snatching my hand up as he went.

"What? There's nothing wrong with calling my own wife beautiful."

I simply shook my head, laughing as Nod led me up the staircase to the same balcony he'd brought me to the last time I'd attended a party here, back when I'd first returned to Moonhaven... God that felt like a different century! So much had happened since then, and yet somehow I still felt the same...

We both reached the edge of the balcony and looked out over Moonhaven, not completely lit up in celebration. It almost seemed to big a fuss for them to make. Sure, _I _was on Cloud 9 right now, but I didn't see why everyone else was so excited for it...

As I starred out over Moonhaven, the place I was going to call home for the rest of my life, I felt Nod's arms wrap around my waist, his lips kissing the top of my head, and I wondered how I ever could've doubt that was where I belonged...

"So what now?" I asked quietly, leaning into Nod chest. I felt his body rumble slightly as he scoffed.

"What do you _mean _what now?"

I sighed happily. "I don't know. Guess it's just been a while since life wasn't throwing problem after problem at us, and I'm worried about what we'll be up against in the future..."

When Nod didn't answer, I looked over at him. He was staring out over Moonhaven with a completely contented expression on his face, and also one of someone in deep thought.

"What?" I asked, smiling and nudging him with my elbow. He just chucked.

"...I don't think it matters."

To this I scoffed in return. "What do you mean you _don't think it matters? _How can it not matter what happens to us next?"

Nod then turned to me, places his hands on my cheeks, and leaned down close to me. "Because you'll be with me, and I'm _never_ gonna let _anything_ change that. No matter what we go through, I'm gonna take care of you, and you'll do that same...so it doesn't really matter what happens next."

I couldn't stop the huge smile from spreading on my face. He was right. I had already almost lost him before, and I could promise that I was never going to let him go again. Any problems we had faced or would face, we'd face them together, trusting in each other; believing in each other...

With so many lies and deceits in the world trying to drag people down, I thought about how difficult it would be to truly believe in someone, and know with absolutely surety that they would never hurt you or leave you.

It begged the question though;

What _do _I believe in...?

_I believe in love. I believe in hard times and love winning. I believe marriage is hard. I believe people make mistakes. I believe people can want two things at once. I believe people are selfish and generous at the same time. I believe very few people want to hurt others. I believe that you can be surprised by life. I believe in happy endings._

I believe in Nod. I believe me.

I believe in us.

And I _always _will.

* * *

**Ugh... _Too many emotions._**

**I mean... That's IT. That's the end of IDBIL! AGH _WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH MY LIFE NOW?!_  
**

"**XD I'll tell you what, school, homework, and studying.**

** In all honesty, I don't know how much actual **_**writing **_**I'll be able to get done during the school year. I probably won't be able to start making real progress with the IDBIL sequel until the beginning of school **_**next**__**year.**_**... T_T I know, my heart is crying too.**

**It's been a privilege writing for you guys, and you've all been such a support. I will strive to write more, hopefully sooner than what I said. Regardless...**

**Thank you for everything, and until then!**

**~Macy**


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